Mimi’s guide to Gloucester with grandkids

You might have a vision of all grandmothers sitting quietly, patiently knitting while waiting for their morning cuppa. Well, that might apply to some, but certainly not to most of the grandmas I know in Gloucester, and not to me. I’ll never be a grannie and I’m not called grandma or nanna either. My eight gorgeous grandkids call me ‘Mimi’.

Grandchildren keep you young, interested and adventurous, even though they can be happily exhausting. One thing for sure, all my grandkids love visiting the beautiful town of Gloucester, and I adore them coming to visit me and their grandpa John, who they call ‘Da’. Together we visit my favourite haunts, both the shops and the nearby countryside.

Here are my ideas for a great weekend spent exploring in and around Gloucester, with my family and grandkids… whether you’re an adventurous nanna or not.

We start the weekend with a walk around the beautiful Gloucester District Park adjacent to the meandering Gloucester River. The change of season always provides lots of beauty to look at, there’s prolific bird life to spot and maybe even a platypus sighting if you’re up early enough. There’s a human sundial there, which is fun trying to get the grandkids to tell the time of day without their phones.

Walking back towards the CBD, there’s always time to stop at the kids’ playground in Billabong Park, the flying fox is a favourite. The Gloucester Farmers Market operates in Billabong Park once a month, which adds a whole morning of activity for the grandkids (and me) if they happen to be visiting.

Next, we head to the main shopping precinct on Church Street for an essential first stop at our local patisserie, Batter & Dough. This shop is stocked with deliciously irresistible treasures: loaves of freshly baked sourdough in orderly rows; a selection of handmade pastries, filled and plain; plus an ever-changing choice of gourmet delights. The kids love the fluffy croissants and the vanilla slice is always a winner. Our shopping bags fill with our choices, to enjoy a little later.

By this time, we’ve all worked up an appetite and wander down to The Common Café where we sit in the sunshine enjoying coffee and some breakfast. Just behind the café is one of the hidden gems of Gloucester, the Gloucester Gallery which has regular exhibitions from many talented artists from Gloucester and elsewhere.

Just up the road from the Gallery a quick visit to the Visitor Information Centre will provide a wealth of information about the many exciting bushwalks in the area. I also recommend you pop into the National Parks & Wildlife office, it’s the regional office for Barrington Tops.

After breakfast a bit of retail therapy is needed, and our next stop is Elk & Willow clothing boutique where country fashion meets urban style. There’s always something stylish here and I’m loving my new jumper. But we don’t stay long, as the grandkids are getting excited about the next stop.

For all grandparents, parents, children and the young at heart, a trip to Forest Of Play is essential. Much more than just a toy shop, you’ll find this is a truly magical place to visit. For me, it’s nostalgic, warm and inviting, like a colourful forest with lots to discover. Trust me, you won’t want to leave and you’ll have a hard time deciding what to buy. (But remember, all those grandchild birthdays roll around quickly!) I bought a Mindful Magic Potion kit.

After a morning of shopping which has worked up quite an appetite, I love to take family and friends for a delicious lunch at Roadies Café just next door to Forest Of Play. The kids love the vintage motorcycles on display and I like to imagine going for a ride on one of these myself.

Then home to fire up our pizza oven while enjoying a glass of local Faull’s Ridge Verdelho as the grandkids play with our dog Peanut on the lawn. The sunset over the Gloucester valley is just beautiful and it always reminds me about why we fell in love with this special place. If we’re lucky, some of today’s pastry purchases may still be left for dessert.

After dinner we have a family conference where we plan our Sunday activities. There is so much to choose from, but we eventually narrow our choices down to three of our favourite options:

• A walk up to The Bucketts Mountains (also called Buccan Buccans) where you can take in some spectacular views of Gloucester and surrounds. (This is close to town and the walk up is good exercise for grandkids and grandparents alike.)

• A visit to world heritage Barrington Tops or to Gloucester Tops. (This a full day trip and you need to take your own provisions but the grandkids love the waterfalls, cascades and lookouts as much as we do.)

• A picnic and a swim at The Steps Barrington a few kilometres from Gloucester. (You can get a day pass at this campground to play in the river and use their facilities.)

After a lively debate, taking into consideration the ages of our grandchildren, we decide on a visit to The Steps. This gem provides delightful campsites set in bushland next to the Barrington River. A couple of the older grandkids decide to take their mountain bikes to try out parts of the international standard mountain bike tracks located just above the campground. Our favourite water toys are also loaded: jumbuck canoe and kayak, so we can pretend to be explorers; plus rubber rings for the rapids, just for fun.

For me, sitting on a pool noodle in the river like a swing is just perfect, watching the kids laugh at Da falling out of his rubber ring!

The laughs of my grandkids playing always makes me smile.

One thing I can guarantee is that if you visit Gloucester, you and your family will never be bored. Our grandkids returned home after a full and exciting weekend of fresh air and fun.