A Bite to Eat- Chifley

Shop 8 Eggleston Crescent Chifley ACT 2606

http://www.abitetoeat.net.au

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Quick Reference:

PARKING

Parking is typical of a suburban block of shops. We were able to park close to the café, however it is a lively area so parking may require some patience during busy times. 

STROLLER ACCESS

I did not see any strollers in the café, and we didn’t take our beast in. 

There are multiple seating options, each laid out with different amounts of space around the tables. 

1. The couch/table configuration looked very comfortable but I worry about strollers and couches because it gets squishy.

2. The area on the left has generous space around the tables – this would be a safer bet if you needed a pram. Photo from their website.

3. The outdoor area (out the back) has lots of seating but the space is not as ample. During our visit it was stunning outside in the sun. 

HIGH CHAIRS

Many high chairs are available! Here is my bub enjoying his first high chair experience. 

PRIVATE FEEDING AREAS

I didn’t see a dedicated area, however the café has areas you could get comfortable.

BOTTLE FEEDING SUPPORT

I asked a waiter if the staff would assist with bottle prep (warming mainly) and she said their staff are very happy to help. I really noticed the friendly mood of all the staff we spoke to during our visit.  

NAPPY CHANGING AREA

The ladies bathroom has a pull down change station in it, as well as a sweet mural!

 

PLAY SPACE

The play area closest to A Bite to Eat is epic. I have attached a review from RiotACT and a quick photo from it. I was disappointed that my bub was too little to play!

Fox & Bow - Farrer

Farrer Shops, Farrer Pl, Canberra ACT

http://www.foxandbow.com.au

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Quick Reference: 

PARKING
As Fox & Bow is part of the Farrer shops plaza the parking is accessible. During our week day visit the car park was very spacious.

STROLLERS
I did not take my stroller to Fox & Bow, I had the capsule which ended up being easier to move around as needed. Strollers would fit, but it would be worth having another option if the café is as busy as it was during our visit. The outside area is undercover, so may give a bit more wiggle room. Consider a carrier if possible.

HIGH CHAIRS
There are high chairs available.

PRIVATE FEEDING SPACE
I did not find a private feeding area, however the outside covered area wraps around the corner of the building, so there is an opportunity for privacy if you can seat yourself in the right spot.

I particularly enjoyed this piece of art as I was scoping out a private space to breast feed... clearly the Fox was not shy!

I did not venture in to the Farrer shops. There may be an option inside the plaza.

BOTTLE WARMING
I asked the very friendly barista about warming bottles and he was enthusiastic in telling me that it was no problem to help with that kind of thing. I had a brief but lovely conversation with him, and may have developed a small crush...

NAPPY CHANGE AREA
I did not find a change area, however the Farrer shops complex may have something, but I didn’t investigate that option. I will next time, I promise.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO
I got the distinct impression that the entire establishment was ‘kid friendly’ and I collected evidence (see photo). This is their babyccino- it has marshmallows in the foam! Fox & Bow go out of their way to make children feel special with a dedicated kids menu too.

I felt special too... oh and cronuts!

Chatterbox- Belconnen

http://www.chatterbox-catering.com.au

Corner of 40 Cameron Avenue, Belconnen

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PARKING
There is a paid parking lot across the road from Chatterbox, it is attached to the Belconnen Labor Club and has a 2-hour limit. On a week day this parking lot is relatively empty- to get to the pedestrian crossing without walking on the road you need to cross tanbark and go through a low lying barrier, some strollers may have trouble with the barrier depending on their width.

Belconnen Mall is within easy walking distance and has free parking for 2 hours.

STROLLER ACCESS
The Espresso Bar itself has relatively good stroller access depending on which area you sit. Different ‘zones’ of the café are set-up differently so if one area isn’t quite right, try another!  The area off to the left as you enter (past the lovely mosaic table) is well spaced. Plus it is an opportunity to rotate around the fun decor. See light!

HIGH CHAIRS
Multiple highchairs are available.

PRIVATE FEEDING AREA
There is not a dedicated private space, however in the same ‘left-behind-the-mosaic-table’ area, there are often tables and taller chairs set up. These look rather comfortable!

BOTTLE PREP SUPPORT
When I asked about bottle prep support, the waiter said the staff are happy to give a cup of warm water to bob the bottle in. They also have a full kitchen so I doubt there would be an issue around bottle prep.

CHANGING STATION
Here lies a small issue- there is not a nappy change table in the café or close by. I phoned the café to ensure I had not missed the station and was told that there is a regular table in the disabled toilet that parents often use. I saw that table (a taller coffee table, not very wide), but at the time the toilet/room was being used for storage of chairs as well so access was limited.


OTHER:
Coffee spill stopper!

I drink black coffee so the cup is usually very full very hot- due to no milk foam buffer. This little do-hickey is awesome for preventing the spillage. I got one for my mum during our second visit!

National Arboretum

http://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/

Also featured on Facebook and Twitter.

The first report card with all ticks!

PARKING
There is plenty of paid parking is available. $2 an hour and all the proceeds go to Arboretum projects. The car park itself is dirt and gravel, but my pram didn’t have any issues with the surface.

STROLLER ACCESS
The main indoor area is very spacious so it is easy to find a table that can accommodate strollers.

The outdoor areas around the main pavilion, including the playground and bonsai room, are paved so stroller access is smooth and easy.

If you are taking a tour, I suggest calling ahead of time and asking if a baby carrier would be more appropriate for that style of activity.

HIGH CHAIRS
There are a large number of high chairs available inside the main pavilion and they all looked to be well maintained.

PRIVATE FEEDING
There is a private room that can be used for feeding by request (see the Concierge), as it is used for other purposes too. Letting the staff know you need the space will allow you a bit more privacy. I have used the room at an event and it was quite comfortable. It has two basic chairs, a trundle bed and a sink.

BOTTLE PREP The Sprout Café has a kitchen and coffee machine so has an industrial microwave- double checking of temp is advised before handing over the bottle. They also have a coffee machine so you could request a mug of water if you prefer.

I included the below photograph to show the inside of the pavilion- it is a stunning space with panoramic views of the emerging forests and the lake.

CHANGE AREA
The ladies bathroom has a nappy changing station and the multipurpose room can be also used for changing.

PLAY AREA
The Pod Playground is AMAZING!  It has a multitude of different styled play equipment (slide, climbing net, musical bridge, sand pits, talking tubes... tons more) all designed to look like seeds and pods. I have included a photo from the website.

A shade sail is being erected this month, so it will be an even more accessible play space.

The activities in the playground look incredibly fun and diverse, catering to different ages. I have visited a few times now and the playground is always busy and full of smiling children, a strong endorsement in my view!

OTHER INFORMATION

The website is very comprehensive- much more detailed than my blog!

Events
http://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/visit/what-we-offer/every-day-activities

Highlights
http://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/visit/highlights


The GPS coordinates for the Arboretum are:DD (Decimal degrees) Latitude: -35.287797 Longitude: 149.069324DMS (Degrees, minutes, seconds) South: 35o  17'  16.071" East: 149 o  4'  9.564"

Cooleman Court- Weston

http://www.coolemancourt.com.au

Quick reference: 

PARKING

Parking is no issue, the attached car park is free, easily accessible and well maintained.  It has a 2 hour parking limit. 

STROLLER ACCESS

As Cooleman Court is a shopping centre it is stroller accessible because of the layout.  There are flat escalators, elevators and ramps- so going between floors is very easy.   

HIGH CHAIRS

I didn’t ask individual cafes, but it I did not see any at the café upstairs (Café Au Lait) or in (Sakeena’s) near the Newsagency on the middle level. I am happy to amend this if anyone knows more accurate information. 

FEEDING AND CHANGING - A WICKED PARENTS ROOM

There is a very clean and practical parents room near Woolworths. This is the door!

It has two feeding areas with comfy chairs and privacy curtains; there are also couches in the shared space that looked very comfortable. 

The parent’s room makes life very easy for preparing bottles! There is a sink and microwave and the facilities were very clean.

There is an iPad mounted in the room that allows you to rate the cleanliness of the facilities and there was a person cleaning as I arrived. 

There are built on nappy change tables in the room as well as binsto pop the dirty nappies in.

The room also has a toilet cubicle/room that has a toddler loo in with the adult one and a fenced safe toddler space in the shared area.

OTHER INFORMATION

For a full list of stores go to the website.

Justice of the Peace-

Every Wednesday from 11am to 1pm there is a JP service near CC Beauty on the top level. No appointment needed. 

Ticketek-

One of the few remaining outlets where you can have tickets printed and hold them in your hand. The kiosk is inside Songland Records on the top level.

Pharmacy-

The Australian Pharmacy is quite big and had multiple Pharmacists working. They stock the usual brands and I particularly noticed a wide range of Moo Goo products. I was also alerted to a tens machine, called an elle TENS to help ‘restore’ pelvic floor muscles after birth (which I was afraid of).

Outside-

Cooleman Court itself is beside another collection of useful shop fronts. Here is my quick list of things in the same area, it is not a complete list:

Medical practise's, Physiotherapist, two Dental practises, A Church (that holds an op-shop every Tuesday), Espresso bar, Petrol Station, Hair Salon, Vietnamese restaurant, Flooring place, Post Office, Salvation Army, Dominos, Marsala Hut, Banks (Commonwealth and Teachers Mutual), Kingsley’s, Fitness First, Black Rock Turkish, Pool works, Pet Barn, Raiders Club, Car Wash, Accountant, Consultancy Firm, Cricket hall, Optometrist, Sports care, The Meating Room  (I hope they sell steak!), McDonalds.