UNDERCOVER MUM SERIES
Follow the ups and downs of parenting as our mum takes up the challenge to find the best things to see and do in the Sutherland Shire with children.
Over to you Undercover Mum…
A dreaded stomach bug hit our household on Friday night. Our 15 month old was hit the hardest so this week’s adventures were left to Miss 3 and I. While dad and the little one had a pyjama day.
Since The Wiggles had been on TV earlier in the morning, Miss 3 insisted on wearing her Emma outfit. I managed to negotiate for her to wear pants underneath at least, so she would not get cold.
Not the greatest look in the world, but you do what you gotta do.
We stuck close to home and headed out first to our local park – the Como Pleasure Grounds.
The name may make you think of a seedy teenage night time hang out, but I promise it is one of the most family friendly parks you will find in the Shire.
The park has around 12 parking spots available in the park itself, but there is usually street parking only a short stroll away.
A bike and scooter track go around the park which people also use as a walking loop. There are also a number of tables and BBQs scattered through the grounds if you wanted to have your own picnic.
As you head towards the gorgeous views of the Georges River you will come to the playground that is perfect for kids of most ages.
There is a swing set and pirate ship with slide for the smaller kids and a large rope climbing frame for the older kids.
Near the playground and towards the water where there is a small jetty, is the Blackfish Cafe. You can grab a takeaway coffee as well as a limited menu of takeaway items such as bacon and egg rolls or fish and chips.
If you are looking for a sit down meal they have a lovely seating area that overlooks the river.
Public toilets available near the cafe and whilst it is closed for winter there is a free small public pool that is operated by the Council during the summer months.
Overall it is a fabulous park that you can easily spend a few hours at. It is not enclosed but the playground part is a decent distance away from both the road and the water.
Miss 3 played at the playground for a while, and mum enjoyed a much needed coffee after a restless night with a sick bub.
When it got to about lunch time we decided to head back up the hill to the markets.
Sometimes we’ll pop in to the Como Hotel for lunch as a family. Since it was only me and Miss 3 today we decided to skip it this time around.
But I highly recommend it as a place to grab either lunch or dinner if you are in the area. The bistro, called the Como Grill, has an outside undercover verandah that has water views. There is also a fenced playground with a slide for the kids to enjoy.
It can get busy, particularly in the summer months, so we always go as soon as they open for either lunch or dinner.
The meals are slightly on the higher side price wise as far as pub food goes, but the quality is always very good.
Kids meals are around $13 and come with a drink and a paddle pop. Since our girls are only 1 and 3, buying just one kids meal is enough for them to share.
We headed back up the hill to the Riverview Markets that are held once a month at Como Public School.
It is a lovely little market with all of the stalls nicely spaced out. It actually felt a bit too bare if I am honest.
There was a range of stalls including crafts, plants, wooden toys, Nutrimetics, knitted items, clothes, books and more.
This particular day they were celebrating the Henry Lawson 150th Anniversary so a bush band was playing music and there was poetry readings. This was a popular place for people to stop and have a listen.
For Miss 3, there was an area set up with Mini Sports which she was attracted to. At least until the instructor got within two metres of her and then she ran over to me acting all shy.
After checking out all of the stalls we decided to grab some lunch. The food stalls were gozleme, falafel, Endeavour Oysters or a sausage sizzle run from the school canteen. There was also a coffee van.
We decided to give the sausage sizzle a go. It was getting late in the day so when it came time to pick up our sausage sizzle they were running low on bread so needed to start using crusts for one piece of the sandwich
I knew this would mean instant meltdown from Miss 3 if she got served up her sausage in a crust.
So I took one for the team and ask them to give me two crusts so she could have a “normal” sandwich.
Crisis averted.
Besides that small hiccup, the sandwiches themselves were great.
I was hoping to pick up a sweet treat to take home, but I could not find any baked goods available. I think perhaps there may have been some earlier in the day, but they were all sold out.
The Riverview Markets at Como Public school are held once a month. You can find out when the next one is by checking out our What’s On section.
