My partner is a teacher and although I get to enjoy a life without having to worry about school holiday care, I do have to deal with parent-teacher interviews. These nights mean that I’ll have the kids all day and all night. To pass the time during this time, I recruited my mum, packed the three kids in the car and we headed to Berry. I haven’t been in years.
The first logical stop was the Berry Donut Van. Going on a Thursday is perfect because you avoid the lines and our fresh, hot, cinnamon donuts were ready in minutes. Walking the main strip, we were all covered in sugar, licking our lips and fingers. As delicious as I remember.
Next stop was the Goldfish Toy Shop. Such an amusing toy store without the usual plastic junk that falls apart after a day. Always fun when you have a doting grandparent (we call her Chazzy), who is always looking to spoil the kids. We purchased a few special gifts for the kids, a few for now and ones for their future birthdays and Christmas in secret.
Since the kids weren’t hyped up enough on sugar, we decided to stop at Berry Sweet Treats and Ice Creamery. Not your regular ice creamery! This place was jam-packed full of imported lollies from the US. The kids chose lollipops bigger than their heads and we picked up some gigantic marshmallows for our firepit for the weekend.
The markets opened at 2pm, down at the showground. It’s a genuine farmer’s market. We perused the stalls selling local flowers, fruit and vegetables, meat, mushrooms, seafood, baked goods, truffles and more – all surrounding a fire pit with hay bales, offering FREE marshmallows for roasting. My kid's eyes lit up. They tried their hardest to honour the one-per-person rule but it went completely out the window every time I turned my head. We settled on a bench and enjoyed some delicious Vietnamese street food, while the kids smashed through two punnets of strawberries, a few too many marshmallows and played totem tennis. Such a relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere.
To finish off our day, we went to the Boongaree Rotary Nature Play Park. You really have to see it to believe it. The giant park is suited for any aged kid. From flying foxes, swings, giant slides, and two-storey climbing nets, this park has everything. The kids ran wild there and refused to leave.
The Berry trip was tantrum-free – a first. They slept all the way home and were tired enough that they passed out again early straight after dinner. Winner!
For more information, visit berry.org.au