First time travelling interstate (QLD) with kids... Tips, advice, etc please!
Some time late in July (tickets to be booked tomorrow) we are coming to Queensland for a week or so. This is our first time travelling interstate (so, on a plane) with the kids, and I'm a little nervous! We are trying to get direct flights from here (Tassie) to Brisbane, which should make things a little easier. We will then be hiring a car and staying, for the most part, with a friend (Mrs Nerd Burger !).
DS will be almost 3.5 and DD will be 14 months. Any tips and advice for travelling with little ones? The longest we've ever been away is two nights, and both kids have never been on a plane (and it's been awhile for us too).
Also, any suggestions for things to do/places to go while we're up? We were planning a day at Australia Zoo. The kids aren't really be old enough for the theme parks from what I can remember of them.
Once I know dates I'll try and organise a BB meet up too if anyone is interested .
Are you taking a pram? If so, ask if you can put it on the plane just prior to boarding, that way you don't have to carry around two tired kids throughout the airport.
For the plane, pack snacks, drinks change of clothes, nappies and if required bubs sleep association (ie: dummy, sleeping bag etc...) just in case bubs wants to sleep. I found that DD still needed her sleep associations to sleep on the plane otherwise she just fought sleep and it got exhausting for me walking up & down the plane trying to keep her calm & me!
Consider bf bubs on take off and landing, this can help with their ears (you know how you can get pressure in your ears?) and for your 3.5 DS, perhaps a chewy lolly or something similar for his ears.
Since you are travelling from Brisbane to Australian Zoo are you considering driving as far as Mooloolaba? If so, Underwater world is pretty good (under water aquarium), although a little exxy, but then so is Australia Zoo.
Thanks for the tips RhiChiChi! We weren't planning on taking a pram as MrsNB has a couple, so I figured if we needed one we could borrow one. Otherwise I was planning on taking my baby carrier for DD.
All that stuff for the plane sounds good. Will definitely try feeding DD as we take off and land. DS will be most excited about getting a lolly, lol.
We're staying with MrsNB who is on the sunshine coast (Caboolture I think), so will be north of Brisbane most of the trip anyway. I'll look into Underwater World, thanks!
For my (then 3-yr-old) I carried chuppa chups for him to suck to stop his ears popping.
In Brissie, some good bushwalks around Mt Coo-tha and the botanical gardens there are really lovely, with a good cafe. Around the end of July is when the westerlies start, so do pack windbreakers.
Other things to do ... southbank is always good for a walk / stroll. Brissie museum is near Southbank, within walking distance. A good (cheap!) trip is the rivercats! Up and down the river, very good value.
A trip to the coast would be worth it one day - either north or south. If you go south you could catch the train- something exciting for the little ones.
I have just done Darwin and back on my own with my two (3 and 10 months)and for me "less is more" is general rule. I use a carrier for DS in airport and DD walks, I find that easier than stroller which I put in hold. On the plane snacks are important but apart from that find that they are most amused by general stuff around them eg flight safety card, sick bags, magazines etc (DD wanting it all explained to her, and DS attempting to eat it). It wasnt the most enjoyable hours have spent but was far from awful, and am doing back from UK on my own in Oct so can't have been that bad.
For DD we wrote down what did each day while there (my parents were with me up there) and explained making a book about it with photos and she really got into that idea.
While there we just tried to make sure did stuff they would enjoy and give DS time to roam around a bit - generally I like same activities as my kids so was a great holiday.
We didn't take many toys, and watched very little TV, just found things like boxes, eskies and other equipment in cabin for entertainment. We were away two weeks and also found they liked to repeat doing stuff, so did the same thing quite a few times (luckily free stuff).
We travelled from syd to brissy when DD was 11.5mos. We had an EARLY flight, so DD ended up sleeping on the plane after we took off. But on the way back she didn't sleep, but she was in a good mood then anyway. I tried feeding DD on take off but she wouldn't, but honestly it didn't seem to bother her at all! Perhaps a dummy (if she takes one) just in case she won't feed?
We brought the portable DVD player for the plane with her fave show, she loved that! And it was so much easier than the on board plane, as I didn't need to stuff around with headphones.
The only thing I can suggest is, if you can afford it, get a seat for DD as well, as we found she got very fidgety and it was just so cramped with her sitting on our Laps! That's a definite must for us next time.
Other than that, just make sure that they run around plenty before the flight, and make sure you have enough snacks and little toys to keep them amused!
Sent from the land of "iSomethings" so forgive me for any spelking misstaks
i've flown a fair bit with my kids, on my own and with Dh. the latest was a 2.5hour flight with an 8 month old and 2 year old. Definitely less is more! DS has his own bag with some colouring in stuff, books and some toys. I buy all new stuff so the novelty keeps him entertained (I buy stuff on special and pop it away for when i need a smoking gun lol). I put in a toddler milk popper for take off/landing and just some simple snacks.
Highly recommend, for the 2 yr old, to buy them a meal on the plane... that's a good 40 mins of entertainment right there! We also give our toddler the window seat and he just sits there quietly watching everything. He has his dummy and sooky and if i'm flying virgin/jetstar a blanket as I find he won't constantly unbuckle his seatbelt if he has a blanket on his lap! Qantas are really my choice to fly with cos their service has always been great and they do kids' packs and meals are included. The attendants have always been super super helpful and when travelling alone have tkane the kids for a walk etc so i can eat/pee/breath. their kids pack has 3d glasses too... which are a HUGE hit with ds lol.
as for the bubs, well that's just a bit of a pain at that age. the safety card was the biggest hit with both my kids and otherwise i took one new toy for DD, it was a pram one so i could clip to the seat pocket so i wasn't constantly raeching to pick it up when she dropped/threw it. she has her sooky and boob/bottle (whatever shes into at that point) on take off and landing. I also pack something food-wise for her cos guaranteed she won't want her milk on takeoff/landing so I just try to encourage her to chew/move her jaw anyway i can. Last flight with qantas I commandeered three pillows and two blankets and once the seatbelt sign was off laid her down in a "nest" on the vacant seat next to me (with her belt still buckled to mine and my hand on her tummy). With her sooky and bottle, she went to sleep like that
If possible, ask at check in for a row eah for you and dh so you can take one child each and have room to spread out, much much more comfortable.
you can also get a complimentary pram at checkin and you can take it to the plane door. we got one for each child, much much easier! But i do take the baby in my sling for boarding/disembarking cos it is sooo much easier to have free hands.
I take a nappy bag with a change of clothes for each child and unisex nappies/wipes/bags. My phone, wallet and ereader. unfortunately the one with the baby usually doesn't get to read/look at anything cos she squirms herself crazy! Get anything you need or want for the flight (smartphone/glasses/bottle etc) out before you get settled in your seat cos you will have a baby on your lap the whole time and it's easier to just have the stuff in the pockets in front of you.
if you are hiring a car, it's pretty cheap to hire car seats and is much much easier than trying to get two kids, bags, car seats etc But if you do take your own, get a trolley, or grow some extra limbs if possible!
sorry didn't mean this to be a novel, but hope some of it helps.
We flew Melb to briss - connect to Townsville and home again DS1 was nearly 3 and DS2 was 17 months. I took 1 back pack with lots of snacks (sultanas, squeezy yougurt for take off, rice crackers, fruit bars, cheese and crackers, le snacks etc etc) and a few books and toys. A few nappies and wipes. DS1 sat next to window and DS2 was on my knee and DH was next to me easy for me to pass DS2 to if need to as DS1 wanted window but also wanted to sit next to me! DS2 BF on take off and landed and actually slept a fair bit of 1st flight. They did get a bot cranky and restless towards end of flight but not too bad.
I had DS2 in carrier and DH has DS1 on back pack leash thing so he couldnt run off.
Don't pack heaps of nappies and wipes just buy when you get there and avoid having toys with little bits that can be lost!!
Get yourselves on a CityCat. It's something like $4.60 per adult for two hours, you can go all the way up and down the river, it's fun for kids and you get to see heaps. You would, quite conveniently, stop right outside my house
If you are going to catch the train more than once, then spend the $5 and get a go card. It will pay for itself very quickly (above mentioned trip becomes $3.11 each, and you can go all day, hopping on and off at different parks and stuff)
South bank is really good, even in cold weather. Goma, museum, art gallery, they're all there, we go quite often to the free stuff.
Other than that, I'm mildly allergic to the north side, so I don't really know. MNB's is probably the top attraction, so you've got that covered
Food(snacks) and our life saver was i bought DS a few new matchbox cars etc which he got to open on the plane, well worth it! Also a sticker book was awesome, sure the airline staff might not have thought so after but hey it kept him occupied
We just did Underwater World and Australia Zoo 2 weeks ago with DS who is 20months. Both were good, Australia Zoo was great though, are you an NRMA member ( or equiv in tassie), we bough tour tickets online for both and were able to save a bit!
First time travelling interstate (QLD) with kids... Tips, advice, etc please!
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