Over the weekend, we took a family trip to the Hunter Valley (2 – 3 hour drive from Sydney) to check out the Mega Creatures Event at the Hunter Valley Gardens, running from the 2-26 January.
Mia (2 years old), absolutely loves dinosaurs, so this event is perfect for her. We arrive on a Saturday afternoon at the Hunter Valley Gardens and there is plenty of parking and we get in quite quickly. At the entrance, there is a small dinosaur that Mia immediately runs to and says “Wowwww! Dinosaur”. We have an excited 2 year old on our hands.
Hunting for Dinosaurs and Bugs
The Mega dinosaurs and bugs are all around the Gardens, so we really feel like we are hunting for them and Mia loves looking for bugs and dinosaurs and excitedly lets us know when she has found something. The bugs and dinosaurs are animatronic, so they move and make lifelike noises. Along the way, we stumble upon a huge snail, a massive ladybird, a ginormous butterfly, a large bee on a flower, an enormous spider in its web and a gigantic scorpion to name just a few of the bugs Mia finds.
Lifelike Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are found all over the Gardens, and there is an area where there is quite a few of them together. They all roar and move around and it was a bit too much for Mia, as she ran off crying. The dinosaurs did seem like they were alive and quite loud. We eventually coaxed her towards the smaller dinosaurs (holding tightly on to Mummy’s hand) and she was fine again, pointing at the “baby” dinosaur and saying hi.
Tips for Visiting the Gardens
- Be prepared if it’s hot – it was pretty hot on the day we went, so definitely pack sunscreen and a hat. It took us about 2 hours to walk around the garden.
- Take plenty of water and snacks – there is a cafe located at the entrance of the Gardens. But if you are all the way at the top of the Gardens and need water and food, then it’s not quick to get back down to the entrance. Make sure you take plenty of water and some snacks for the whole family.
- Take breaks – if it is a hot day, make sure you get the kids to take lots of breaks along the way. Mia was too excited hunting to tell us if she was tired, but we could see her little face going red due to the heat. We made sure we took breaks under the shade along the way so she could cool down.
- Wear your sneakers – the Gardens are made up of 8km in walking paths (I know!) so be prepared to do a lot of walking. Also not all of the paths are made of concrete. Some paths are pebbly, so don’t wear shoes that you don’t want to get dirty or wrecked by walking.
Christmas Lights Spectacular
And after seeing the Mega Creatures, why not go and see the absolutely beautiful Christmas Lights Spectacular at night. This event finishes on the 26 January and is really breathtaking to see at night. The Gardens light up and there is so much to see and experience for the whole family. We saw Cinderella’s horse and carriage, Winnie the Pooh and Friends, My Little Pony and a Fairy Garden. At the top of the Gardens, there is also rides and three massive jumping castles set up for the kids. For $7.50 they get unlimited play time. Take the kids after seeing all the lights, as it is near impossible to tear them away from the rides.
Tickets
Tickets for Mega Creatures day entry starts at $29 and tickets for night time entry starts at $28. You can also purchase family passes and day and night combo passes. For further information and to buy tickets head to www.huntervalleygardens.com.au.
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