Once Upon A Time

Did you know that there's a fairytale theme park in Victoria? I've never heard of it until KK's school organised an excursion for the Grade Ones this month. We have a theme park just at our door step (about an hour's drive away) and no one's told me!

Of course, the reason why this one's so obscure is because it is not like those in Gold Coast. There are no roller coaster rides, no 4D performances and no parades. Built 50 years ago, Fairy Park is just a fairytale display park built on top of a hill. Nonetheless, we decided to check it out so XX can have a chance to get familiar with some fairy tales as well.

We got there after some scenic driving through farmlands. As we approached, we can see a castle built on top of a granite hill, that looks pretty fairytale-like. Our first stop was the Camelot playground, at the request of KK, who found the experience there most memorable from his school trip. A playground is a playground, you can't run away from the usual slides, swings and see-saws. But this play ground is built around a medieval theme and has interesting features like tunnels, peep holes, concrete towers and fortresses. There's even a headless medieval lady statue sitting nearby carrying her head in her arm! (I'm sure I won't want to be there alone at night....) Anyway, there were plenty of fun activities for the kids to exhaust their energies. I had a go at the "longest slide ever" and couldn't contain my scream as I swoosh a long way down. On hindsight, I don't think I ever heard a hoot from the other children who took that slide.

The attractions and exhibits were all planned along a very scenic and nice to stroll uphill route. There was the Frog Prince, Snow White & The 7 Dwarfs, Cinderella, Pinnochio, Jack & The Beanstalk and Ali Baba, just to name a few. All our favourite fairytales and some we've not heard before were there. The displays featured some dolls that can move when you press a button in the wall. There are also narrations of the stories. All the attractions are built at a low height so most children can view it and press the button themselves. XX walked most of the way, though we had his stroller on hand. He enjoyed seeing the dolls move, though I'm sure he has no idea which fairytale they belonged to. Some of the exhibits are pretty old though and not exactly what I would imagine them to look like. I mean, Cinderella has long straight blonde hair while her Prince Charming has long hippy brown hair that covered his eyes! And the way Sleeping Beauty sleeps - slumped backwards over a chair with her arms spread out! I thought it should be more demure?

All said, we had a very enjoyable day at the Fairy Park, not just the children but me and Hubby too. The weather was kind to us and the place was not overcrowded. The slow uphill walk, with stops to look at the beautiful display windows, is some form of exercise for us. Most importantly, it brings us back to the fairytale world, a world that many adults has forgotten to believe in. But it's nice to be reminded that once upon a time, far far away, fairytales do exist and dreams do come true!

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