Official Opening of Lota Foreshore Park

It promised to be big and it certainly didn't disappoint. The official re-opening of Lota park was a great morning, with fabulous weekend weather to boot. We parked at the Manly markets and strolled down along the bay, with scooters and a freshly bathed dog (thanks to the dog washer at the markets), running into a school mum friend and her toddler along the way who joined us for the fun. I have to say, there weren't quite as many people there as I'd expected, at least no where near as many as there would have been had it been at the Lighthouse Park (Bandstand Park) further back down the esplanade, but that's not a bad thing. There were certainly plenty of happy kids eating free snow cones, sausages in bread and $1 cupcakes, while the parents enjoyed sitting in the warming sun. Impatient for a caffine fix, I was a little unimpressed with the long wait for my take away coffees from the cafe opposite (realising my mistake of missing the coffee tent at the park on the way back from the cafe). The cafe wasn't busy, and the wait probably wasn't that long, but it felt like forever while I watched the young waitress fluff around with the coffees her workmate was making, me tapping my numbered piece of paper, and Master2 in the stroller looking at the park longingly. The cafe is more a fish and chip shop with cafe seating and a coffee machine, but it was neat and although I'll be avoiding the coffee wait in future (unless totally desperate) I'll probably order some fish and chips for the kids there before too long. After a play at the park, we meandered around while the Lota school raffle was drawn, (we didn't win, but probably a good thing as the prize was a cake sized cupcake and with us walking we'd never have been able to carry it home), and then made the slow walk back towards the markets with Master2 whinging for an ice cream. After a stop at the markets for ice cream and a play on the giant blow up slide for Master6 (a longing look at the bouncy castle by Master2 who was worn out by this stage and I wasn't risking a full meltdown of tiredness by letting him lose on that!) we drove home. No chance of a swing today, but no one was fussed.