MANDY SACHER
MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN, AUTHOR OF WHOLESOME CHILD
FEATURED DESTINATION:
MUDGEE, NEW SOUTH WALES
Channel 9’s Doctor Doctor was filmed in Mudgee
Producer Claudia Karvan in Mudgee
WHY MUDGEE?
After what felt like an insanely busy and exhausting year of writing, publishing and launching my book Wholesome Child: A Complete Nutrition Guide and Cookbook – we decided as a family that we desperately needed to get away somewhere special over the Christmas holidays, amongst nature – to relax and decompress.
My husband and I were excited to leave the Sydney hustle and bustle behind for a week, as were the kids. So we planned a road trip to Mudgee with our closest family friends and their two little ones and off we headed.
FREE RANGE KIDS
Travelling with four children under the age of 7 made it very important that we had plenty of fun and exciting kid-friendly attractions planned. It was also vital that the accomodation was child-friendly, with enough space for them to run riot and enjoy themselves. Growing up in Africa, I remember how much we used to appreciate the large open outdoor spaces… something I was keen for my children to enjoy on holiday!
I’m delighted to report that our holiday was absolutely magical. Many fond memories made and quality time spent with family and friends meant that we all came back relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated for the year ahead.
WHERE WE STAYED
We couldn’t have been happier with the accommodation that we chose and highly recommend Mudgee’s Getaway Cottages, where we stayed in the comfortable Farmhouse.
Images courtesy of Mudgee’s Getaway Cottages
Self-catering holidays, especially with little ones, is something that I always enjoy – both in terms of cooking for my family as well as the convenience factor. My friend and I love cooking together and so this was also a fun bonding experience for us (with many laughs!).
The beautiful and lush vegetable gardens on the property meant that the children could explore the delicious produce on offer and we could choose and pick our own veggies for our meals. From earth to plate. A luxury that we don’t often get, living in Sydney!
FROM PADDOCK TO PLATE
One of the highlights was most definitely exploring the gardens and planning meals around the options that the kids enthusiastically placed in their buckets.
We made homemade tomato sauce from the juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs, veggie loaded spaghetti bolognese, homemade sweet potato wedges, luscious salads and beetroot hummus, to mention a few. The kids loved that they had picked the veggies and there was never a muttering of refusal come meal-time!
WELL FED
Having healthy, simple and nutritious snacks and meals on hand was a huge benefit and kept the children well fed and chirpy throughout their incredibly active holiday.
HAPPY KIDS, HAPPY PARENTS
Hours were spent:
- Playing in the property gardens
- Climbing trees
- Swimming in the beautiful olympic sized swimming pool (just a 5 minute walk away)
- Feeding the local animals on the estate
My children adore animals and fell in love with the resident ostrich, camel, donkey and chickens. My son in particular developed a soft spot for a rabbit called “White Socks” (pictured below). In fact, we’ve been asked about getting a pet rabbit ever since.
Needless to say, all children fell asleep early, slept soundly and woke up later than normal (another holiday win for the adults!)
OUT AND ABOUT IN MUDGEE
ANIMAL ADVENTURES
Given that the Taronga Western Plains Dubbo Zoo was only an hour and a half drive away, we planned to take the children there for one of the days… amidst much excitement! We spent a glorious day seeing all of the unique and endangered animals and our children came out of it filled with interesting facts and statistics – especially my son!
WINERY WANDER
We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the beautiful Di Lusso Estate Vineyard in Mudgee where we sampled some (many) of the amazing wines from their cellar. They make the best homemade pizza I’ve ever tasted!
SWEET TREATS
Another highlight was our trip to the Mudgee Honey Haven factory shop. Our family loves honey and we all found the visit fascinating. The children enjoyed seeing the honey bees and learning interesting facts about them and how they make the honey. We walked out of there laden with delicious and antioxidant rich products. I only hope that it will last us until the next time we visit.
Thank you Mudgee for an amazing holiday experience! We can’t wait to come back for another visit.
About the Author:
Mandy Sacher is a paediatric nutritionist, mum and author of the Wholesome Child Complete Nutrition Guide and Cookbook, which includes a host of nutritional information and guidance, along with over 140+ allergy-friendly recipes and a range of menu planners suitable for busy families. Available to purchase online and via iTunes here. Connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.
