Family day out a juggling act
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday March 26, 2010
A trip to the toy shops and attractions of Katoomba and Leura can be a memorable affair €” so much so that you may well want to treat yourself and the little ones to another visit, writes Jackie Dent. While circus performer Graham Pinning can confidently juggle five balls, he has practised for the past eight months to achieve a wobbly six. He regularly attends Friday night juggling jams at St Canice's church hall in Katoomba, where he passes clubs with members of a small but thriving circus scene in the mountains.Pinning, 21, also finds time to practice at Weirder the Better, a circus store he set up 18 months ago.Apart from being a haven for professional circus performers, the Katoomba Street store - with its hula hoops, magic tricks and fake teeth - is one of those places where children love to try everything (sometimes to the chagrin of their parents)."Anything that we find that is a little bit crazy, we'll put in the store," says Pinning, who jumped on his first unicycle at the age of 12 and cut his teeth performing and selling circus equipment at markets.Having a fossick in the store are Cormac, 4, who likes catching frogs and throwing rocks in ponds, and his sister, Andree, 6, who wants to ride a horse.This is the second time the siblings have been to the Blue Mountains. The last time they came, their parents, Mel and Buzz Mackenzie, report, they had one of the best family days of their lives.So what was so special about the day? Over tea, hot chocolate, chicken melts and scones in a coffee shop with a rude waitress and no toilet - and as the children distract themselves with their new Go Go Crazy Bones, a plastic, gimmicky version of Jacks - the Mackenzies tell their story.The day started in a fairly classical manner as they enjoyed looking at the Three Sisters and then took the Scenic Railway - the steepest railway in the world - down the mountain. At the bottom is the Scenic Walkway, which is a wooden boardwalk that offers a perfect way for the children to enjoy the ancient rainforest."This really was an ideal introduction to bushwalking," Buzz says. (Many parents report that taking children on bushwalks is annoying and prompts dreadful whingeing, such as: "I'm tired. Can you carry me?")"The walkway goes up and down but is fairly gentle; there are always corners to run around and see what's next. The kids can learn about the different types of trees, hear the bird calls. They saw fairies and trolls - that sort of stuff."The Mackenzies opted for the Scenic Cableway to return, which they described as a "beautiful" way to get back to the top.They wandered up Katoomba Street, which is undoubtedly one of the last of the great independent shopping strips in Australia and should be lauded. Taste is certainly not generic here. While some may rejoice at finding an old-school happy coat reminiscent of what Graham Kennedy wore in Don's Party, others will be delighted to find a new Ned Kelly Metal Wine Bottle Holder.Children may often get bored window shopping and browsing but Mel says she and Andree enjoyed spending time in the children's section at Mr Pickwicks Fine Old Books, a charming old-world store where one can spend hours browsing books, prints, paintings and curios. "They have a really classic collection of children's books - we read an Enid Blyton," Mel says.The Mackenzies ate in a cafe with slow service - they didn't want to recommend where to eat - before wandering around Leura. They visited the Leura Toy Shop and The Candy Store. "After all the walking and sightseeing, and being occasionally dragged and carried through second-hand shops, some toffees and sweets kept tired legs going," Buzz says.Next stop for the Mackenzies was the Toy and Railway Museum, which is housed in Leuralla, a gorgeous 1920s home set in beautiful gardens. Mel, an interior designer, was eager to check out the house, which was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and still has its original furniture.The Barbie, Ken and friends display, which includes every Barbie doll from 1959, left an impression, as did the old boats, cars and planes made of tin.The children then ran out the back to the railway museum, which includes model trains, old bench seats and a $2 ride on the toy railway.While the Mackenzies were keen to go back, Buzz says the $36 for the family, while reasonable, meant the costs of a fun day in the mountain added up.If you have some energy left, Leura also has some short bushwalks that offer great views over the Jamison Valley. "The Sublime Point Lookout walk is fantastic but quite difficult for smaller kids, so be prepared," Buzz says.After watching a band at the Hotel Gearin, the final triumph came with dinner at the Leura Chinese Restaurant, on the main street, about 6 o'clock.The Mackenzies thought that if they fed the littlies they would "crash" on the drive back to Sydney and then have that lovely childhood experience of being carried from the car to their beds."It was a classic suburban Chinese restaurant - noodles, sweet and sour," Buzz says. Sure enough, the children did nod off - and there were none of the usual bed-time squeals.USEFUL WEBSITESmrpickwick.com.au.toyandrailwaymuseum.com.au.victorytheatre.com.au.www.weirderthebetter.com.au/epages/wewe3183.sf.leuratoyshop.com.au/index.html.
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald
