Holiday outings :: 3 for free

The holidays are here!
No lunches to pack, uniforms to iron, shoes to clean, homework to do for two and a half weeks. Yay!
But there are kids to entertain... all day, every day, for two. and. a. half. weeks.
Enter the outing. I love an outing. And Autumn is such a pretty time to get outside and enjoy the last of the warm(ish) weather. Even if we just pack a picnic and head to the local park to feed the ducks. Our kids are still at the age where it's exciting enough to prepare and pack the food and head off with their little backpacks strapped on.
Here's some outings on our list this break:
:: Bushwalking
Last Autumn my husband took us on an amazing bushwalk near Leura in the Blue Mountains. It's the Lyrebird Dell/ Pool of Shalom walk and I highly recommend it if you are in the area. There are a few steep bits but the kids were so amazed at all the little "fairy" caves and hidey holes that not once did I hear a "carry me" from our daughter (and this is a little person who usually struggles to walk to the front gate and back). We gave our son our old digital camera and it adds a whole new element to bushwalking for him. It really brings his awareness to the detail of things and creates another activity for a rainy day (making a nature book out of all of the pictures).
:: Fossicking
Our kids love discovering treasure (who doesn't?) and we are fortunate to live in an area where there are some quaint old gold mining towns and apparently still lots of gemstone and fossil rich areas to explore. My husband is the expert in this area (he tells me he was a keen member of his local lapidary club as a teenager — obviously that was the clincher in me accepting his marriage proposal) so he'll be leading this expedition. Don't worry, it's not a get-rich-quick plan which has us sending our littles down rickety old mine shafts. Or is it? My guess is it will be more along the lines of digging in the dirt and perhaps finding an old sheep bone that the kids will be convinced is a dinosaur tooth.
:: Library
I have always loved libraries. What's not to love? A huge room with lots of secret little corners to sit and explore words and pictures in. And you can even take them home for free. Almost makes me wish for a rainy day. The library is a great place for everyone in our family to get a bit of "me time", as we can all go our separate ways and indulge in our individual tastes. Then we can come back together at home and snuggle up and read the kids' finds (and our own once little eyes have finally closed). Most libraries have organised story times, music sessions and activities too.
What are you up to with your family this holidays?