We braved the Royal Show this year. It was good - in a weird parallel universe kind of way, where everything costs ten times more than it should...and we queue to be terrified on rides put together by people who look like they may have some sort of an issue.
It was Miss 8's first time at the show, and I asked her if she enjoyed it.
"Yeah," she said in a tired voice "but I think I like going to the park better."
Wow.
But we are park junkies. There is nothing nicer than sitting on a blanket in a park on a sunny day while your children eat watermelon and play.
And it got me thinking...what makes a park great? And where are the best ones? There's probably loads of quiet suburban parks that nobody knows about except for the locals.
Do you have a particularly great park near you?
For me, Heathcoate is number one because of its beautiful location near the yacht club, its unique play equipment; a ship and of course the fact that you can get a cup of coffee there.
Smaller parks? Long Point in Port Kennedy not because of its drab playground, which my children ignore, but due to its trees! My children spend hours hanging from the fabulous climbable trees!
Fantasy Park in Rockingham was great until it was taken to by graffiti 'artists'.
There is a great park behind Mandurah High School which is completely fenced. Ideal for those with a 2 year old or a budding Prisonbreak fan.
So for me the Perfect Park would have to have:
* interesting play equipment - not the same old, same old ones we see in most modern parks.
* climbable trees
* coffee
* no graffiti - especially rude graffiti which Miss 6 can spell out and make me blush
* no teenagers hanging around smoking/groping/vandalising
* GREAT TOILETS - and by this I mean clean with actual toilet paper inside!
* barbecues
* a space to play cricket/frisbee
* no dog poo
So...anyone know it? Apart from Kings Park I mean!