According to the people behind London Pass – the sightseeing card which gives holders FREE ENTRY to over 55 sights and tourist attractions in London – the English capital is a fantastic city for sightseeing, with a wealth of history and culture that leaves every visitor wanting more. Whether it’s Royal history, sport, architecture, museums and galleries, or just a fun-filled family trip there is something to please everyone.

TOP TEN THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
Entry to all the following attractions is FREE for holders of the London Pass.

1. The Tower of London
The ancient stones reverberate with dark secrets, priceless jewels glint in fortified vaults and pampered ravens strut the grounds. The Tower of London is one of the world’s most famous fortresses and has seen service as royal palace, prison, armoury and even zoo! It is still home to the Crown Jewels and Beefeaters. You’ll also see an impressive exhibition of royal armour in the White Tower including Henry VIII, Edward VI and the Stuart King’s royal armours.

2. London Tower Bridge
One the most impressive structures and sites in the capital, Tower Bridge in London has stood over the River Thames since 1894 and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. London Pass holders can also descend into the Victorian Engine Rooms, home of the original steam engines. Exciting hands-on mechanisms and information panels explain about the ingenious technology used over the years to keep Tower Bridge in motion.

3. St Paul’s Cathedral
Built between 1675 and 1710, St Paul’s Cathedral is widely considered to be crowning achievement of the glittering career of Sir Christopher Wren. The Whispering Gallery at this London cathedral is famous for its acoustics and is 30 metres above the cathedral floor, while below, in the elegant and spacious crypt, are the tombs and memorials of such historical luminaries as Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke Of Wellington.

4. Windsor Castle
A must see for London visitors, Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and official residence of her majesty the Queen. The magnificent State Apartments are lavishly furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection, including masterpieces by Rubens, Holbein, Brueghel and Van Dyck. You can get there from London Paddington in around 30 minutes. While in Windsor you can also visit Eton College (Free Entry with London Pass) – one of the most exclusive educational establishments and Alma Mater to 19 former British Prime Ministers and royalty.

5. Hampton Court Palace
The flamboyant Henry VIII is most associated with this majestic palace, which he extended and developed after acquiring it in the 1520s. Its many royal occupants have ensured the palace has fabulous furnishings, tapestries and paintings. It is set in 60 acres of formal gardens, which include the famous maze and the Great Vine.

6. Kensington Palace
Generations of royal women have shaped this stylish palace and elegant gardens from Queen Mary to Victoria and, more recently Diana, Princess of Wales.

Included in admission until 17 March 2010, Last Debutantes: 1958 the Season of change, an exhibition uncovering the last court presentations as visitors are taken on a journey into the glamorous and competitive world of the Debutante.

From spring 2010 Kensington will be transformed into the Enchanted Palace. Take a journey through the spellbound palace and explore the tale of transformation that lies within. Encounter a series of stunning installations of contemporary fashion inspired by royal dress and tradition as you walk through the State Apartments. Representing different fairy tales from around the world, these installations will be woven with dress from leading designers and up and coming fashion talent. Discover the intriguing and mysterious characters moving through the apartments who will help you to navigate your way. The Enchanted Palace is a unique opportunity to experience a surprising and magical Kensington filled with an intriguing combination of cutting edge fashion and sumptuous design.

7. London Zoo
ZSL London Zoo in Regent’s Park is one of the most famous of all London attractions and a must-see if you have children. Opened in 1828, ZSL London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo and today houses over 650 different species of animal and is the only zoo in London where you can experience big animals such as elephants, rhinos and giraffes.

Visit the “Into Africa” exhibit where you can come face to face with some of Africa’s most unusual animals including zebras and hunting dogs, or try “Meet The Monkeys” an exciting walk-through experience. Other new exhibits include the Butterfly Paradise, where you can enjoy myriad species of butterfly as they fly around you.

With over 12,000 animals to see and incredible animal displays taking place throughout the day (including feeds and keeper talks) you could easily spend a whole day at this London attraction.

8. London Bridge
The London Bridge Experience is a two-part tourist attraction situated within the arches of London Bridge.

Firstly, enjoy a fascinating trip back in time as the London Bridge Experience delves through the history of the bridge, from Druids through to Victorians, meeting Vikings, Romans, and some creepy medieval characters along the way. Featuring real life actors (pictured above), stunning special effects and animations, this is unique interactive adventure really does takes you back in time.

Then, if you’re brave enough head into the second attraction The London Tombs. It’s a terrifying encounter with the un-dead and a blood-curdling adventure you will never forget.

9. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
London sightseeing visitors can enjoy a trip back in time with a visit to the spectacular Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Situated on London’s Bankside, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre reconstruction the original building that housed Shakespeare’s theatre in London, an open-air playhouse where the playwright penned many of his greatest plays.

This modern building is a faithful reconstruction of the Globe, first built in 1599, and perfectly evokes the atmosphere of Elizabethan London. Resident storytellers on the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour and Exhibition introduce visitors to all aspects of the Globe, historical and contemporary, including Sam Wannamaker’s epic struggle to recreate the theatre.

10. Thames River Cruise
A Thames river cruise is without doubt one of the best ways to see London, weaving through the heart of the city and past so many of its most famous attractions. See and experience the sights and splendour of this great city from the relaxed comfort of a City Cruises modern, all-weather boats with open upper decks and spacious lower saloons with panoramic windows

Highlights along river Thames include the site of the Cutty Sark, London’s commercial hub, Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the retired battle-cruiser – HMS Belfast; St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Tate Modern. You get a close view at Millennium Footbridge, controversially constructed for the turn of the new century; and of course Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, recognized worldwide as icons of London.

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Sightseeing in London can be an amazing, unforgettable experience; however, it can also be very expensive and stressful. With a London Pass you can get Free Entry to over 55 Top London Tourist Attractions with one smartcard – taking all the stress off organizing various tickets so you can fully enjoy your trip.

Great British Heritage Pass
If you are planning on extending your trip beyond the English capital, the Great British Heritage Pass gives you FREE entry to nearly 600 attractions around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Stonehenge, Edinburgh Castle, the Roman Baths, Shakespeare’s Birthplace and much, much more.

With more than 100 airlines servicing 191 countries, Vayama offers more international flights than any other website and best of all, you can save up to 63% on international flights when you book online at Vayama.com

Vayama.com is a first-of-its kind travel website that gives travelers a whole new world of choice in international air travel. Using the latest in web technologies, vayama offers a massive selection of airlines, flights and fares, many never previously available online, so you can find the lowest prices and best schedule options for all your international travel.

Vayama was founded by travel experts with decades of experience, and is backed by one of the largest travel organizations in the world – BCD Holdings NV, one of the world’s leading travel logistics companies. So if you buy your international travel from vayama, you will save money and find more flight options.

Vayama’s interactive map tool is a great way to access a wider selection of airlines, routes and fares, many never previously available online. Vayama provides you more flight choices to select from, so you can find the lowest prices and best schedules.

Plus Vayama.com offers free travel tips, passport, visa, health, transport information and much more, for international travelers.

Whether you are traveling for leisure, visiting friends and family in other countries, or heading overseas on business, vayama is excellent for international travelers.

I actually decided, when we dragged our carcasses out of bed far too early this morning, that I’d like to live in Sydney again, and so asked Husband if he could please organise a posting there soon. Sure, he said. Right after he organises postings to the other cities I’ve requested – New York City, London, Paris and the Hague.

After a God-awful ‘misunderstanding’ involving an inability to read road maps or driving incompetency (depending on which front seat of the Koleos your backside was parked in) we were finally on our way home. In the correct direction, this time.

It was a relative breeze getting out of Sydney on the quick and smooth freeways heading south-west. Surely these magnificent roads have cut two hours off the Canberra-Sydney trip.

On the way south, we had a smattering of sun shower and to our amazement, the Koleos’s windscreen wipers came on automatically to swipe the rain away – hey presto! Something similar happened on our forward journey, too. We’d had the wipers on ‘intermittent’ and when it started raining more heavily, they sped up. At the time, we thought we’d imagined it, but when checking the Koleos handbook, I noticed automatic windscreen wipers and headlights are standard. Love it.

I also just have to re-mention the très French left-hand indicator that goes ‘pip pop’ when you flick it on. I also know I whinged about the low light LED screen but it seems to have turned itself on brighter (I didn’t do it – perhaps it heard me whinging, the car seems to be that intelligent). And my other love is the sibling-altercation convex mirror you can flip down above the rear vision. You all know what that’s for, parents. Heaven.

KOLEOS INTERIOR GALLERY

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Another thing the handbook tells me is something I may not get to experience because I’m usually in my nanna tracky dacks by 7 pm (my penchant to wander out during the nighttime hours is long gone) – and that is the full-beam protector across the windscreen to guard your eyes from oncoming headlight glare. Mentioning this may seem a little trite, but let me tell you – when you’re as night-blind as me behind the wheel, you take every little bit of help you can get.

Yet another thing I found in the handbook is that you can get an optional tent with the Koleos that hooks onto the back via the split opening, offering a bed in the rear of the car and then overflow space onto the ground where the tent rests. We’re not really a family of campers, but… I want one!

One more little thing I noticed in the book which I’m yet to try is the cute little French-sounding horn. Ayo! I just had to test this, post-haste. Mee-meep!

After irritating Husband monumentally with my tooting and lots of hand-swiping-away, we quickly came upon the exit to the small, historic town of Berrima. Spurred on by the promise of a peek into the renowned Lolly Swagman sweets shop (Old Hume Highway, tel 02-4877 1137), we were absolutely delighted to discover more than just a lolly shop in this quaint village.

This tiny town not only boasts a stack of historic buildings like the old Berrima Court House and a Gaol, it also features a museum, contemporary art gallery, antiques and bric-a-brac stores, a general store and ice creamery and the gorgeous Little Hand-stirred Jam Shop, stacked with luscious consumables and a café/ice creamery (1/9 Old Hume Highway, tel: 02-4877 1404)

BERRIMA GALLERY

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Near the Jam Shop, you can find Bimbee Kids (tel: 02-4877 2777) which has baby and clothing as well as bedding and toys. Nearby, Sprinkles of Berrima (tel: 02-4877 1577) features Christmas all year round, and Sugar Daddy’s Cake Design will send the eyes of sugar-addicts skyward.

There’s also a gaggle of other cafés and tea rooms, the White Horse Inn pub, the Australian Alpaca Centre and The Cottage Berrima – an olden time country store selling the softest fine knits stacked in glorious gelato colours, glittering vintage chandeliers, delightful buttons and other olden time treasures.

Right near the quaint Berrima Post Office is the Art of Bookbinding and the Gumnut Patisserie (tel 4877 2177), where we ogled over pastries and cakes and came away with a marbled and swirled meringue for Riley and a strawberry tart for Ella. Husband and I guzzled neat little lattès on the rest of the leg home, arriving well before lunchtime.

Home. I’ve always said part of the attraction of traveling is the moment you arrive home, where things are unpacked and washed and freshened, and crinkling packets and bags are opened to reveal snaffled treasures and photos are uploaded and pored over.

It’s also a time when home comforts slip easily back into place. Like slipping feet into soft bed socks, we snuggle back into our world and give thanks for the wonderful opportunities we have to travel and see other parts of the world – even if those parts are in our very own backyard.

BERRIMA SWEET TREATS

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Although we’re generally a family of air-travellers, our family loved our road trip in the Koleos so much, we’re keen to take more road trips – both far and wide. Being able to stop where and when you want and having the freedom and comfort of getting off the beaten track (in the case of the Koleos, 4WDing is also a distinct possibility) and cruising wherever we want, at any given time is just so attractive, and if you plan your route carefully, you can really make the most of even long travel times.

So, thanks, Renault, for our time with the spunky little Koleos and for this glorious opportunity to get away and enjoy our Sweet Adventure. My blue, shiny baby will be delivered back to the car dealer on Friday with a surprising and very deep sigh of sadness. I’ve so enjoyed this car and hope one day we’ll meet again.

And for all you road travellers out there, I highly recommend factoring small country towns into road trips, not only in support of these out-of-the-way places, but for the fact that you may just find a treasure. We live in a  country of such enviable beauty and constant variety, it’s easy to stare straight through unique and wondrous places, unable to see the treats contained within – usually due to our wild hurry to make it between cities in record time.

Slow down. Pause. Take a peek and you, too may just find some of the sweet sweet treasures hidden in this extraordinary country of ours.

MORE ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:

• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day One
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day Three
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day Three

WIN A SHOPPING SPREE THANKS TO RENAULT KOLEOS – HURRY! ONLY TWO MORE DAYS TO ENTER!
The shopping sprees are on us for three lucky readers of Australian Women Online, as thanks to Renault, we have $1,000 worth of gift cards to giveway! But hurry as entries close 11:59pm (AEDT) on 16 October 2009. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

We zipped across the Harbour Bridge in the Koleos this morning, ready and set to go early to beat the ‘crowds’ but the roads were virtually bare, being the Monday public holiday. Ahh. Lovely. There was even free parking at the zoo. Nice.

It was also lovely to be back in the Koleos, and dare I say it, I have a bit of a crush on this car. It’s so incredibly easy to manoeuvre, especially around little streets and between traffic. Just zip zippy heaven. It’s like turning the wheel through softened butter and there’s just, like, NO drag on the car as you turn. I love the small steering wheel, too, and did I tell you I tested the très French horn? Mee-meep! Cute.

Another thing I like is how easy the heating is to operate, especially for us Canberrans who truly experience four seasons in one day. A quick flick of the heating dial (one on each side for sectional comfort) and we’re set for atmospheric comfort.

I also wanted to mention my experience with the seat-flipping this morning. You know –when you want to put new coffee tables an such in the back of the car and need to lay down the back seats? I hate it when it take 15 levers (that need a manual to operate) and the girth of Andre the Giant to achieve this feat. With the Koleos, it’s flick, lift and lock down. That’s it. A breeze. Love it. Oh, and when we wish to get on the piste, we can even stick our skiis through the central hole between rear seats. Or stick them on the built-in roof racks.

Like a lot.

Another thing I like, a lot, is Sydney. Oh my. I had completely forgotten how beautiful this city is. Having spent seven years here through the late 80s and early 90s, it was easy (back then) to become complacent over the stunning beauty.

I witnessed this complacency all over again by a young, handsome barista who made us coffee at a Taronga Zoo café. With a work view of the Harbour many people would scratch his eyes out for, I acted all touristy and predictable by saying something he’s probably never heard before (not): “My, what a work view. I guess someone’s gotta do it.”

Although he patiently conceded the view was breathtaking, he also admitted that after several years of eye-feasting on a twinkling Harbour and paper-folded Opera House, it seemed a little ‘everyday’ to him now. Oh youth, thy name is complacency!

For me (old hack that I now am and therefore fully capable of blatant appreciation at any given moment), it was love at first sight all over again. My goodness, Sydney is a stunning city. Even bathed in uncertain skies, it is a truly breathtaking town, rife with waterways and natural beauty, but also character and charm and whimsy and just so much to see do, feel, experience, taste. Even the kids have become totally smitten, begging to go walking or take another ferry jaunt. Seeing as though my kids just don’t ‘do walking’, this is a fine thing indeed.

TARONGA ZOO GALLERY

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Speaking of arguables, standing at the clown face opening to Luna Park is arguably one of the most extraordinary experiences you can have anywhere in the world. In front of you is that towering, iconic face that strikes kids dumb. Through its gaping mouth, which gobbles punters alive, is a blaze of whirling, twirling, zipping rides, carnival music and delicious festival treats.

If you slowly turn around, behind you is the Sydney Harbour Bridge, quite literally soaring over your head, showcasing a far distant Opera House beneath its belly like an ornate steel frame.

Then there’s ferries bobbing in the water, speedboats nipping around on choppy wake, luxury cruise boats stalking envious glares, squeals and splashing from nearby North Sydney Swimming Pool and the bubbling excitement of patrons spilling in and out of the Luna Park orifice, clutching fairy floss and sticky smiles.

Inside Luna Park, we found the perfect sweet treats – sideshow goodie bags packed with whiz fiz and saddle club mags and Luna Park dolls that could light up the night with their megawatt smiles. The park has free entry, making it a place to hang and be seen and just soak up the atmosphere, but you need to pay if you want to ride or play games. The Coney Island pass is a great bet for little ones – only $10 a pop, they can play inside on a plethora of British seaside-style rides (and an enormous slide) for hours.

LUNA PARK GALLERY

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When navigating the bizarre freeway loops around the north end of the Harbour Bridge, we invariably got a little waylaid a couple of times but the Koleos is so neat and has such a tight turning circle, it could U-turn it on a two dollar coin.

I’ve also noticed that the car, despite its somewhat ‘buzzy’ sound at takeoff, really packs a punch. Like – it’s actually surprised me how zippy it can be, without that dragging feeling that you’re flooring it like a hoon-head on a trip down Ego lane. I can press quite lightly on the accelerator from a standstill and will easily leave my fellow road users in my wake, with nary a screeching engine nor squeal of a wheel. I must admit, I like that.

BONDI BEACH GALLERY

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But enough of this spunky little chariot I’m enjoying so much, let’s get back to Bondi. We parked the Koleos right on the beach in a teensy parking spot (because it’s such a tidy little car) and hotfooted it to the shops for some wraps, which we nibbled on the beach. There’s always something happening in Bondi and the kids were thrilled to have a bounce and flip on a tethered bouncing contraption on the shorefront.

We then kicked a ball along the beach from the Bather’s Pavilion to the Bondi Icebergs swimming pool at the southern end, where little old ladies in purple floral swimming caps take early morning laps from winter through spring summer and autumn.

On the drive back to the city, we stopped once again at T2 to top up our tea supplies, and on the way out of the Queen Victoria Building, we discovered our last Sydney sweet stop – Sugar Fix – a store on the lower ground level concourse just beyond the main QVB, waiting for us like a chocolate-coated booby trap.

CANDY GALLERY

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I also came away with another fave – fondant filled licorice sticks (called ‘licorice cream rock’), plus chocolate coated pineapple lumps (scrum!), white choc coated raspberry bullets and some divinely retro inspired Solar Seeds and Galactic Peanuts. Hidden in the very base of my bag was a jewellery making candy kit for Ella’s Christmas stocking. Purchased on behalf of Santa, of course.

After a swim, we headed out for dinner – and got horribly sucked in to yet another Japanese restaurant for yet another delectable meal of miso soup and ramen noodles. On the way back to the Medina, we happened across a teensy Korean supermarket on Sussex Street, stacked to the ceiling with Korean and Japanese treats (yes, we like Japanese food) including jelly cups, mochi balls (sticky rice cakes) and wasabi-covered peas (well, not so ‘sweet’ but still a treat).

This teensy Korean supermarket was our last Sydney sugar fix. Tomorrow we are heading home.

I don’t want to talk about it.

MORE ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:

• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day One
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day Two 
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip - Day Four

WIN A SHOPPING SPREE THANKS TO RENAULT KOLEOS
The shopping sprees are on us for three lucky readers of Australian Women Online, as thanks to Renault, we have $1,000 worth of gift cards to giveway! But hurry as entries close 11:59pm (AEDT) on 16 October 2009. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Sigh.

Undeterred, we got out the door a wee bit late thanks to that don’t-forget-to-turn-the-clocks-forward thing (which we forgot about) and walked through puddles up York Street and into The Rocks, where we navigated sopping pavements and winding steps on a mini-exploration through this gorgeously historic part of town.

It’s been years since I’ve been to The Rocks and I must admit, they’ve done a great job of making it sterile. It was like the feeling we got upon arriving at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Expecting it to be teeming with character, charm, noise and flavour, it instead resembled an overstyled movie set. You know that look? Like those fake western streets, complete with saloon doors and life-sized horses made from resin.

The Rocks market was also disappointing. It was like a flashback to 1987; the wares were that tired and overdone and totally targeted at tourists with a passion for expensive tack.

Set under a series of beautiful, peaked sail cloths and tucked into a corner under the Harbour Bridge, the market has a situational possie the envy of stallholders all over the world, yet there was little to tempt a wallet-opening and the only thing even remotely resembling sweets was an old fashioned lemonade stand. At least that was cute and contemporary.

We did manage to find a sweetie shop called Sticky in the Rocks Centre, where a duo were rolling out a great hulking slab of raspberry and lemonade candy, kneading and smooshing it into heart-shaped moulds to create shiny heart lollipops. Enamoured, we clamored to buy a couple but they had to be cooled, counted and bagged before sale. We instead settled for pre-packed pops that weren’t nearly as pretty.

Emerging back outside, we sighed audibly to see the rain had stopped, then continued on around to the Harbour foreshore where we were treated to a magnificent view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Circular Quay, with green and yellow ferries chugging through the water, their bows thoughtfully penned with monikers like Lady Herron, Queenscliff and Friendship.

We jumped on the Queenscliff shortly afterwards, totally attracted by the half hour trip (you can triple that time if you want to take the car, sorry Koleos) to Manly Wharf. At only $10 for our entire family, this had to be the absolute bargain of our trip, especially considering these tickets could be reused on buses, trains and ferries all day long.

MANLY SURF BEACH
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The kids loved the ferry and the only hairy moment was crossing the heads, where the sea swell took us on a bulging ride for a couple of minutes. Otherwise, the journey was beautifully smooth. Manly was pumping when we arrived thirty minutes later. In the throws of the Manly Jazz Festival, with artists from all over the world, there was marquee after marquee of soulful tunes skitting and a-skatting through the streets.

After a wander down the mall, we stopped for fish and chips and took them down onto the sand of Manly surf beach where Riley and Husband went bananas with a soccer ball and Ella performed cartwheels until she was pink in the face. We then went for SoShi ice cream at the New Zealand National ice cream store in the mall, which features the first ‘sushi’ style ice cream in Australia. You can get it in several flavours including vanilla and banana, but of course, I opted for green tea.

A quick ferry ride back into town, we walked down Pitt Street and wandered through the Strand Arcade and ogled all the gorgeous shops before stopping off at Cupcakes on Pitt for a belly-candy array of divine cakelets. We took home raspberry, rocky road, cherry ripe and the best lemon meringue cupcake ever to have passed lips – complete with a juicy nugget of lemon curd deep inside a drippingly moist cake and spectacularly tanned meringue peak on top.

Being NRL Grand Final day, we decided on our best-of-all dinner – a collection of deli nibbles like pesto, crackers, brie, olives, goat feta, semi dried tomatoes, fresh snowpeas and avocado. We shopped at Woolies, trudged back wearily to the Medina and, after a bracing swim, devoured our treasures in front of the grand final.

It’s truly worth staying in Sydney’s centre when you visit with kids. We walked almost everywhere and it’s an easy 20 minute trot from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. If little feet get weary, the public transport system is superb and you have stacks of choice for a quick lift, from buses and trains to the monorail and a plethora of cabs.

SWEET SWEET CUPCAKES
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With an IMAX Theatre, the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World, St James and Hyde Parks, the Botanical Gardens and a stack of cinemas, theatres, galleries and museums all within a half hour-walk radius, it’s total kiddie heaven. The hardest part for us was deciding what to spend our limited time on.

Tonight we’re hoping to toddle down the street and see G-Force, then tomorrow after breakfast, we’re off to the Chinese Garden of Friendship at the southern end of Darling Harbour, before nipping over to Taronga Zoo, and stopping for a peek at Luna Park on the way home. Or perhaps Carriageworks for the Sydney Children’s Festival currently running. Oh, how can one decide?

And the Koleos? Thanks to the rain and the projected traffic jams we’d inevitably experience in the wet (remember my traffic jam paranoia?), she had a nice little rest in the Medina carpark today, but we’re taking her out for a spin tomorrow to the zoo.

We’re all going to the zoo tomorrow, how about you?

MORE ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:

• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day One
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day Three
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip - Day Four

For more on getting around Sydney, car-free (sorry, Koleos), see:
www.sydneyferries.info
www.cityrail.info
www.sydneybuses.info
www.metrotransport.com.au

WIN A SHOPPING SPREE THANKS TO RENAULT KOLEOS
The shopping sprees are on us for three lucky readers of Australian Women Online, as thanks to Renault, we have $1,000 worth of gift cards to giveway! But hurry as entries close 11:59pm (AEDT) on 16 October 2009. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

If you want to suss out the spunky looking Koleos and drum up some original answers for this amazing competition, just organize a test drive at your local dealership at renault.com.au/book-a-test-drive – it’s only a web click away. If you can’t reach a dealership, you can learn more about the car’s details at the Koleos website www.renault.com.au/renault-cars/Koleos.

Three-quarters of the way to Sydney, we were thankful we’d at least packed a couple of brollies. And it was eight degrees outside most of the way. Talk about unprepared.

Luckily, the Koleos kept us warm and dry. And the sacks of books, mags and nibbles we hauled along certainly kept us comfortable. I must admit, though, I stood at the back opening of the car early this morning with an uneasy swirling in my tummy. The space looked so teensy and we had soooo many sacks.

You see, when our family takes road trips, we take the liberty of hauling along every home comfort we can. Hey, when you’re not paying baggage allowance, why not take a turbo charged hairdryer (as opposed to those bizarre hotel contraptions that provide the equivalent air power of an exhaling asthmatic)?

So, we packed heavy. And as frequent air travelers, this is a luxury we cling to like fingers on upgraded boarding pass. It was with trepidation, then, that I stared at the vacant gap at the back of the Koleos and panicked a little.

“You may need to leave Claribel the Cow behind, Ella,” I said grimly to our wide-eyed nine-year-old, tears a-brimming. Dabbing my eyes, I went inside and began hauling out the feed sacks and sporting gear and pillows, but – miracles of miracles, everything fit. And with room to spare. A 450 litre boot is deceptively large.

This neat little compact of a car (indeed, the back pops open like a powder compact of yore) is surprisingly roomy inside. This fact occurred to me again when I slipped into the front passenger seat. I found myself sitting up quite high and, preparing to graze my scalp on the ceiling, my hand instead flailed about wildly in the considerable space between scalp and ceiling. Better and better.

It was just on 9am when we finally clicked on our seatbelts and headed north. The kids were already starving by the time we reached Canberra airport (15 minutes from our house), so the stash of nibbles were quickly popped open. I didn’t mind. Due to the teeming rain, I knew the idyllic sunny strolls in search of sweet shops amongst the string of country towns on the way to the Big Smoke was probably going to be a washout, anyway.

It’s been a long time since we’ve travelled by road on a public holiday weekend. This is mainly due to my sheer terror over traffic jams, as well as people falling asleep at wheels and wiping out our entire family in a nanosecond. Coupled with persistent, slippery rain, I can honestly say I was extremely heartened to flit through the Koleos handbook and learn it is one of Renault’s 11 vehicles to be awarded a 5 star NCAP safety rating.

I also learned the car has an electronic stability programme (ESP) which controls the grip on each wheel. Basically, it’s a traction control system combined with ABS that honestly made me feel a whole lot more confident about this entire trip. A reinforced frame with crumple zones to absorb impact and 6 (yes, 6) SRS airbags also eased my tendency to hyperventilate and grip Husband’s leg until he yelps in pain.

ON THE ROAD IN THE RENAULT KOLEOS
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Speaking of Husband, he was happy with the easy-to-operate cruise control and everyone thought the sound system was great (it’s always too loud for me and I quickly scrabbled to lower the bass, to the alto strains of much family whining). What I don’t like, as mentioned in a previous post, is the LED stereo display in the front top dash. You just can’t see it unless it’s dark or really overcast and it’s a right pain not being able to see the time or the radio station without having to pull over and virtually press your face to the glass.

It is the tiniest things that matter in a car, and I do like the fact that the arm rests on the Koleos’s doors are padded. Padded! So lovely, I actually gasped when I discovered this totally unexpected squishyness under my weary elbow. What isn’t so nice is the fabric on the headrest, which snatches the odd hair on the back of the head and gives a little scratchy tug. Perhaps I just need to get this bird’s nest of mine trimmed, but it was still something that mildly irritated.

My other gripe is over my most anticipated feature – the aviation style tray tables for the kids. Built into the back of the driver and passenger seats, they flip up for the kids to store a drink and to complete that all important colouring-in. But the tables are too shallow to place a colouring book of any size, and forget colouring pencils. Plus, the drink hole can only fit the bottom of a cup – and I’m not sure any parent would hand any child under 18 any kind of open-topped cup on a road trip.

The kids nonetheless used the trays to put food and bits and bobs on, so the novelty wasn’t completely lost. I imagine the depth of the tables was carefully strategised by Renault due to safety issues, but I can’t see how, with a seatbelt firmly in place, a child could be thrown against a table just a few inches deeper.

Something I did appreciate is the flip-down child minder mirror so mum and dad can adjudicate fights without having to crack a neck vertebrae, the deep drink holders in each door (that will fit drink bottles), the enormous (chilled!) glove box for keeping food and drinks cool, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) is really amazing – even Husband commented on it. Essentially, it means the transmission can change steplessly though an infinite number of gear ratios, making engine efficiency and fuel economy super-doo for everyone.

And speaking of tiny details, one thing I love love loved was how I could stretch my legs out – all the way out, and onto the dash, with the windscreen laid out like an IMAX cinema and I was in Gold Class. Loved it.

All in all, our trip into the centre of Sydney was a real breeze in this car and I’ll bring you some more stats and comments on the return journey. It’s a shame we didn’t get to make some country town stops on the way, but we’ll attempt this on the way back.

Didn’t stop us from heat-seeking sweets, though. Our first sweet treat on this trip was interesting – a skanky old chocolate-iced donut from a Shell service station that came free with our coffee. There’s a reason it came free.

But we were soon in for more savoury (I mean ‘sweet’) treats. As soon as we checked into the Medina Grand on Kent Street, we put on our walking shoes, hoisted our brollies high and ventured out into the pelting rain, skipping merrily through the puddles to Darling Harbour, only ten minutes walk away.

Our first stop was the Sydney Aquarium we were SO excited to see the new Dangerous & Deadly exhibit. Being the first official day of the NSW school holidays and being wet enough to keep anyone and everyone at home for the day, we strode confidently into the foyer only to see everyone else in Sydney with a pram and a child under twelve had suffered the same delusion – and was aptly queued in a lineup longer than the Great Barrier Reef.

We waited eleven minutes and tolerated two queue jumpers (shameful!) before giving up. We’d taken three steps forward in all that time. Seems ticket sales at the Sydney Aquarium involve filling in an eight page questionnaire beforehand. Yes, I’m annoyed.

Back out into the relentless rain, we took our soggy selves over the walk bridge to Darling Harbour, on a mission to find the legendary British Lolly Shop, which appeared like a sugary mirage before us upon entry to the shopping complex.

Meant to be.

We quickly snaffled up Old English jelly babies and bon bons and sherbets and jelly tots and raspberry licorice and tutti frutties and pineapple cubes and more. Husband even found a childhood treat – a chewy ‘Drumstick’ lolly that had his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He almost inhaled it.

Next stop was the The Fudge Shop, 480 calories down the concourse, where clever people rolled and sliced massive logs of creamy fudge in a multiplicity of flavours. We grabbed a handy sample bag of several types (mint, cookies and cream, chocolate nut, coffee, coconut ice, classic caramel) because it was simply impossible to decide – and two classic toffee apples for good measure.

Then it was Baskin Robbins for an ice cream (mango and rainbow sherbet, respectively) then a monorail ride into George Street to the Cupcake Bakery below Myer. Like stepping inside a dollhouse, this musk-stick coloured, dolly-like treatfest had us boggled over flavour choice. After much umming and drooling, we toted away a box containing choc mint, strawberry vanilla (resplendent with a dollop of strawberry jam on the inside), lemon poppy seed (my favourite) and of course, during grand final weekend – an NRL cupcake. NRL flavour.

IT’S A SWEET LIFE
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Back to the Medina, we shed a considerable amount of self-imposed calories with a lollop in the heated pool, and a brisk walk in search of dinner (in the rain). It was Sakura Japanese Kitchen on Pitt Street that sucked us in – gyoza, aki bento, teriyaki chicken, lotus root chips, edamame (fresh soy beans) and warm miso soup – followed by a stroll to Chinatown. In the rain.

Why Chinatown? Well, I was on the hunt for one more sweet treat to round out our day – a traditional Chinese mooncake served in China during the mid-Autumn moon festival in August. Did I find them? Yes, I did. But after being spoiled with four years of traditional mooncakes during our time in Beijing, I couldn’t bring myself to purchase one. It didn’t help that they were priced at $10 a pop (and have a lesser circumference than a tennis ball), either.

So, after retreating to our hotel room (in the rain), I had to settle for a soda lime and bitters (I’m currently ‘competing’ in Ocsober) and some Bassett’s oldy worldy English jelly babies. And kisses and cuddles from our kids over such a fun, albeit soggy day.

Now, that’s sweet.

MORE ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:

• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip - Day Two
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip – Day Three
• It’s a Sweet Life Family Road Trip - Day Four

WIN A SHOPPING SPREE THANKS TO RENAULT KOLEOS
The shopping sprees are on us for three lucky readers of Australian Women Online, as thanks to Renault, we have $1,000 worth of gift cards to giveway! But hurry as entries close 11:59pm (AEDT) on 16 October 2009. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

 Photographs Tania McCartney

Cartoon Museum
This highly entertaining London tourist attraction covers the history and development of British cartoons from the 18th Century to the present day.

Firepower Royal Artillery Museum
This engaging weapons museum shows every gun up close and details in which conflicts it was used in and with which ammunition. You can also watch videos demonstrating the pieces in use and see how each works. It’s a fascinating London attraction that looks at how military personnel use armoury today – even in peacekeeping missions.

Florence Nightingale Museum
As one of the most famous women in British history it is not surprising that Florence Nightingale should have a museum dedicated to her memory. The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates the woman who almost single-handedly created the modern nursing profession in Britain following her experiences during the Crimean War.

Guards Museum
The London Guards Museum is a fascinating insight into the history of the military in the capital and is unique among London museums as it was not originally intended for public view.

Handel House Museum
One of the many specialist London museums, Handel House Museum celebrates Handel’s life and works, as well his contemporaries in what many consider the golden age of classical music. The beautifully restored interiors give a sense of what life must have been like for this hugely influential composer at the peak of his power.

Household Cavalry Museum
The Household Cavalry Museum is unlike any other military museum because it offers a unique ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the work that goes into the ceremonial duties and operational role of The Household Cavalry. From a glazed screen inside the Museum, visitors can view into the working stables of The Queen’s Life Guard.

London Canal Museum
During your London sightseeing visit you can see inside a narrowboat cabin, learn about the people who lived and worked on the waterways and the horses that pulled their boats. This is the only London museum of inland waterways and one of the best canal museums in the UK.

Twickenham World Rugby Museum & Stadium Tours
There is nowhere in England more important to the contemporary game of Rugby than Twickenham Stadium. The Museum Of Rugby is the ultimate London visitor experience for the world rugby enthusiast – and the Twickenham tours give you backstage access to this hallowed turf.

Pollock’s Toy Museum
Named after Benjamin Pollock, a famous printer of toy theatres at the turn of the century, Pollock’s Toy Museum opened in 1956 and is dedicated to the traditional English toy theatre.

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, London visitors to the Wimbledon museum can experience the atmosphere in the 1980’s Gentleman’s Dressing Room and watch John McEnroe guide you through normally off-limits areas and reminisce about how he first met Jimmy Connors and how he prepared himself for matches.

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I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Girl’s Guide To The World, which is a female focused travel guide for the discerning female traveller. Girl’s Guide is a trustworthy source of unbiased and insightful information on where to shop, eat, drink, sleep, pamper and play. It features over 3,000 venues in over 100 hand picked cities around the world. Another great addition to the site, is the Girl’s Guide To The World Blog, which is full of interesting facts, tips, special offers, stories and reviews.
Often women find travelling alone to be a little daunting, especially if it’s a location that they haven’t been to before, so having input from other female travellers can be extremely comforting.

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Check it out girls at www.girlsguidetotheworld.com, as it has heaps of recommendations and reviews from a community of female travellers who have already tried and tested the various destinations and venues on offer.

Sue Hile is the Director/Founder of the specialist travel company for women only Adventurous Women – www.adventurouswomen.com.au.

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When travelling in Italy a few years ago, I stumbled across a small Tuscan village called Orvieto and decided that I would like to stay there for a couple of days. I was pleasantly suprised to find cheap, secure and comfortable lodgings at a local convent tucked away in one of the tiny cobbled alley ways. I would recommend this kind of accommodation as being very suitable for women travelling alone or together. Monasteries and convent guest houses provide a gentle and warm environment and the stays are totally unique.

Wanting to share my experience with other women of Australia, I thought I’d do some research on monsteries and convent stays, so whilst surfing the net the other day, I found this fantastic website www.monasterystays.com which is the only quality assured online central booking service for monasteries and convent guest houses in Italy. This could certainly be a good starting point if you are thinking of using this type of accommodation.

Sue Hile is the founder Adventurous Women, a specialist travel company for women only based in Australia. When she isn’t leading a group of women travellers through some exotic land, Sue is a regular contributor of travel articles to Australian Women Online.

Photo credit: cristinaciochina – Fotolia.com