Base: a large home in the St George area (Rockdale, Brighton-Le-Sands or Kogarah), close to the beach, halal food and the airport.
8 adults6 kids3 SUVs9 days days to go
Day by day
1
Fri 5 Dec
Arrive & settle
Land, collect the 3 SUVs, do a big grocery run (halal meat for the week), settle into the house.
Travel
2
Sat 6 Dec
Brighton beach
Calm, surf-free swim at Brighton-Le-Sands on Botany Bay, then halal lunch on The Grand Parade.
Beach
3
Sun 7 Dec
The big barbecue
Nielsen Park: netted harbour swimming and free electric BBQs. Arrive before 11am for a shaded spot.
Food & BBQ
4
Mon 8 Dec
Blue Mountains
Featherdale wildlife (9:00), Scenic World (11:30), Three Sisters lookout (2:30). The one long day.
Adventure
5
Tue 9 Dec
Rest & mall day
Slow morning and pool time, then an air-conditioned Westfield, and a halal dinner in Lakemba.
Rest & Shop
6
Wed 10 Dec
Aquarium & play day
SEA LIFE Aquarium at Darling Harbour (penguins, shark tunnels, pram-friendly), then the huge free Tumbalong Park playground next door. WILD LIFE Zoo is in the same building if the kids want more. Anyone craving a beach can split off to Manly instead.
Kids
7
Thu 11 Dec
Ferry & zoo
Ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo. Start at the top and stroll downhill to the wharf. Older kids can add Luna Park at Milsons Point after (check holiday hours).
Adventure
8
Fri 12 Dec
Shopping & pack
Morning outlet or souvenir run, home to pack, then a farewell barbecue in the backyard.
Rest & Shop
9
Sat 13 Dec
Depart
Final pack, return the 3 SUVs, and fly home.
Travel
Getting there
Scoot, direct both ways. Fares are indicative and not yet confirmed.
Outbound · Singapore to Sydney
Scoot
01:15
SIN
7h 55m
Direct
12:10
SYD
Max first day in Sydney
Scoot
07:55
SIN
7h 55m
Direct
18:50
SYD
Easier with the kids
Return · Sydney to Singapore
Scoot
13:25
SYD
8h 15m
Direct
18:40
SIN
Home by dinner
Scoot
20:05
SYD
8h 15m
Direct
01:20+1
SIN
Full last day
Scoot Plus for Mama and Ayah. Worth it on the flight of nearly 8 hours: a wider seat with more legroom, a meal and drinks, extra baggage and priority boarding. Everyone else travels in economy.
Around $923 to $924 per person, direct each way. Indicative only, not yet confirmed.
The three SUVs
All from Sydney Airport for 8 days, free cancellation, prices indicative. Booked as "or similar", so the exact model may vary.
Toyota RAV4
Family car 1
Mid SUV · 5 seats · 4 bags · unlimited km · Ace, 7.9 (2000+ reviews)
Carries the baby capsule plus a child seat. Shuttle bus pickup.
S$397 for 8 days
Mitsubishi Outlander
Family car 2
Mid SUV · 5 seats · 4 bags · unlimited km · Apex, 8.6
The other child seats go here. Picked up right outside the terminal, easiest with tired kids.
S$384 for 8 days
Kia Stonic
SIL crew
Small SUV · 5 seats · 3 bags · unlimited km · Bargain, 7.7 (1000+ reviews)
Fits 2 adults and the older kids, and includes a free additional driver so both can take the wheel.
S$303 for 8 days
All three together: about S$1,084 for the week. Bring child seats from Singapore rather than renting (the baby, 3 and 4 year olds need seats, the 5 year old a booster). Luggage will be tight on the airport runs, so plan one luggage-heavy car.
The trip, mapped
Every stop, colour-coded by day, plus the three stay options marked A, B and C. Tap a pin for details.
BeachBarbecueAdventureShoppingStay options
Map tiles by CARTO, data by OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where we stay
Airbnb shortlist for 8 nights, whole house each. Prices from the search, not yet booked. Tell the group your pick.
Right in our St George base area: about 10 minutes to Brighton beach, close to Lakemba's halal butchers, quick airport run. Driveway and street parking for the 3 SUVs.
$5,054 SGD for 8 nights weekly discount applied
BHome in Strathfield
6 bedrooms · 6 beds · 2.5 bathrooms · 4.44 ★ (39)
An extra bedroom and a big yard (tennis court), but inland: 25 to 35 minutes to any beach. Handy for DFO and the Blue Mountains drive.