I’ve been thinking for a while (queue drum roll) that it was time to take the boys to see more of our own beautiful city Sydney…

A few weekends ago we went on a very early drive south so my son could play Rugby.  I use ’play’ here quite loosely; he was tackled in the first minute and then spent the other 44 mins next to the largest guy on his team.  Not so much playing as trying to blend with the grass – quite hard to do if you are wearing a very bright jumper.

This trip is also the same one that I invited my Mother-in-Law.  The one where I wore earplugs in the back seat and she “chatted” at/to my husband in the front. 

I wrote a nice, I thought, post on Mother in Laws where I highlighted how lucky I/we are with our relationship. 

But NO she zeroed in on the tiny mention I made that I didn’t always listen to her advice. 

A good lesson to learn early in my blogging life, that there will always be someone who disagrees with you regardless of how inoffensive you believe you are being.  With this in mind – yet choosing to pay it little mind – I shall forge ahead.

Back to my plan for seeing more of our city…

I admit that where we live we breathe quite rarefied air.

The shops, restaurants, delis, cafes, schools, galleries, theatres, parks – all great and within walking distance. 

Just a short drive and you are at the harbour, the beaches the CBD.

Little need to go elsewhere really. 

Except it’s a narrow view of Sydney for my children.  They see more of the city from the air. 

TheYoungSon exclaimed excitedly on the last plane descent into Sydney “I can see home – but where are those other houses living.  Sydney is big isn’t it – I thought it was small…”.

Not much point being TheUrbanMum; who stays home.

Our drive South was fun; a start.

But the time has arrived to branch out.  But where to begin our holidays with kids?

As with most things in life, wait a minute and the answer will come. 

Which it did this week, in the form of a map delivered in my letterbox.I have seen the Urban Walkabout guides in the local shops, never doing more than picking one up and passing it to the next out of town visitor.

After all I know my neighbourhood; I walk regularly looking for new spots to explore.  But outside a five kilometre radius?  I spend more time seeing cities in other countries than I do my own.

So we are going to explore – one area at a time – and I will report back with my finds;

Fashion – this goes without saying

Food – coffee places for writing; eating out with kids; new foods

Bars – Date Night locations

Streetscape – history, anything picturesque, great  architecture

Action – galleries, home wears, local events – fairs/fetes & the like.

Yes this is for Sydney, but you might find some ideas for your own city!