This wasn’t supposed to be the first stop but as anyone caring for children will know, playgrounds are such a magnetic force field for kids. As I turned into Coconut Grove my son’s eyes opened as wide as saucers he was in playground heaven! This playground was huge and it was going to take a lot to get him to leave!
After coaxing him away from the playground and promised we would be back, we went for a walk around Airlie foreshore to the point. It was a gorgeous walk; high tide, slight breeze, pristine water. There was also plane doing flips and tricks.
During the middle day (and to get out of the sun) we drove out to Lion’s Lookout. The lookout is about 15 minutes from Airlie and overlooks Shute Harbour. It was damaged by cyclones over recent years it has undertaken a gorgeous new rebuild/renovation. With bub sleeping we decided not to go in for a look and instead head back to Airlie Beach and go to the lagoon for a swim.
Jack was in his absolute element, splashing about in the lagoon. Jimmy and I supervised from the shade of a tree. I was already pushing the limits of being outnumbered by the kids – next visit I will get in with him to cool down.
As a mum I know it is so much easier to take photos of just the kids, but the photographer in me knows how important it is to be in the same photo with the kids. I want my boys to see that I was there with them – even if it was too bright and windy, it is imperfectly perfect to me. This was our last stop before heading back home.
To wrap up, the foreshore is very kid friendly and you could easily spend the whole day kicking back and let the kids run free! Take a big hat, suncream and water. This was perfect start to our summer holidays – Jack is already wanting to go back to Airlie Beach.
If you are ever up in Airlie and the Whitsundays with the kids, let me know, I would love to photograph your family!