GOMA and Southbank

Today we went to the Gallery of Modern Art.  It tends to be hit and miss with the kids.  We went with Di and Zac and Alex.  Last time we went, we went with Ty and there was a room full of purple balloons and  a hallway of white Legos!  Major Hit!! This time it was more of a miss than a hit.  There was an 'Obliteration Room', that had started out fully white.  The kids were handed a sheet of colorful dot stickers and could place them anywhere they wanted.  They could put them on the walls, floor or roof.  They could put them on the books and the furniture.  They had a blast!  For about 10 seconds.  Then they ran out of stickers and got bored.  There was just not enough action in it all.  I got some fun photos but really, it was a bit fast.  The other kid activity was a real miss.  You had to wait in line for 10  minutes, before being allowed into a display of sugar and recycled things all made into a pink fairy world. 

Now first off, we had three boys and had we know, wouldn't have bothered to wait in line.  Second, they couldn't touch anything.  All they could do was look at it.  No touching.  That display took us about five seconds!  After a lightning trip around the rest of GOMA, we gave it all up and walked back to the car and to get our swimsuits so we could start the rest of the day.  We will be back to GOMA for sure, but we won't be back for that display!

We went to South Bank Parklands, to play at the beach.  It is fascinating to me to have such a beautiful beach in the center of town.  South Bank Parklands were created after World Expo 1988 finished.  It has parkland along the river with walking tracks and biking tracks, but best, it has playground after playground, water park after water park.  They are all modelled after the river itself.  Like this bubbling play structure, there is the map of the river showing it's path through Brisbane.  This is the river that was just starting it's rampage this time last year.  This is the Southbank Parklands from above during the floods last year.  It took them a few months to get it all back to pristine beauty but it is definitely back!

The boys in particular, loved playing with the shooting darts of water, catching them and dodging them in particular!  They played and played.  Then we had Fish and Chips for lunch and took the very tired boys home!