Pushpitha Wijesinghe
As a cultural heartland littered with intriguing attractions Hobart is also a vacation hotspot for kids. From chocolate factories to local adventures here are the city's top activities for children.
All children share a love of chocolate and Hobart is home to one of the country's premier chocolate manufacturers. A tour of the Cadbury Schweppes Chocolate Factory is therefore a popular activity among all visitors to Tasmania, let alone Hobart. Taking young children and families on an unforgettable journey across the various processes of producing premium chocolate the Cadbury Schweppes Chocolate Factory allows visitors to sample some of their best treats while on tour. Families can also purchase the factory's products at bargain rates and stock up on the tasty treat to take back home as a delicious souvenir.
A mere 28km of the heart of Hobart, Bonorong Wildlife Park is another iconic attraction for animal lovers as well as children. As the state's most visited wildlife sanctuary and one its key natural attributes the venue offers visitors an in depth look at the exotic creatures that call Tasmania home. Highlights include sightings of the infamous Tasmanian devil while rat kangaroos and Pademelons are also known to occupy the leafy confines of the sanctuary. The Wild Child Kids Club is another reason to head down to this sprawling parkland as it hosts informative edutainment programs to engage children in the importance of conservation. The park is also renowned as a rehabilitation centre for injured creatures as well as orphaned wildlife while those who wish to encounter the nocturnal inhabitants of the park can take a Night Tour of Bonorong Wildlife Park.
Located in charming Richmond, the Old Hobart Town Model Village is a village within a village that explores life in Hobart more than two centuries ago. Littered with 60 historic model buildings as well as 500 lifelike figurines representing various communities in a typical Hobart village the venue was designed according to town plan maps used over 200 years ago. Engaging and interactive visitors are supplies with a hand drawn map to find their way around the model village while a Search Challenge is also on hand for kids and adults interested in taking part in a treasure hunt of sorts at the locale.
Often described as one of the most picturesque corners of Hobart the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is the perfect location for a family day out in the city. As an enclosure devoted to all forms of plant life this breathtaking space littered with plants towering trees and flowers is a hotbed of activity all year round. Highlights include the venue's high tech plant house which is regarded as the globe's one and only plant house to contain sub-Antarctic plant species in a climate. Visitors based in Somerset on Salamanca Hobart or similar well situated Hobart serviced apartments will enjoy easy access to the public green space.
A popular stopover for train fanatics and locomotive enthusiasts Hobart's Train Park or Caldew Park as its locally known is a popular attraction especially geared towards children. Spacious and spread out across a vast expanse the venue which houses a fenced play region that contains a larger than life transformed traction engine. With designated play areas for younger children, toddlers and older children the venue is also ideal for family picnics as it contains spacious grasslands perfect for the activity.
