The Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt and Family Picnic is an eagerly anticipated annual event for Melbourne families. Tickets usually sell out in advance – if you are lucky enough to score some read on!
Every Good Friday the beautiful gardens of historic Werribee Mansion host the biggest Easter egg hunt in Australia along with a day of rides, entertainment and kids activities.
All proceeds from the entry tickets, egg sales and raffle tickets go directly to the Good Friday Appeal, which benefits children and families at The Royal Children’s Hospital.
It’s a very popular event and tickets sell out quickly. As such, the crowds are large so if you’re thinking of going then take note of my 6 tips for making your day HOT rather than NOT.
Find Hotels and Airbnbs near Werribee Park
1. Arrive early for when gates open at 9:30am
No matter what your egg hunt timeslot, arrive early for when gates open at 9:30am.
We make the mistake of getting there at 10:15am as the first egg hunt for 3-year-olds was scheduled at 10:30am. However, the queue to enter the gate takes about 30 minutes and then we need another 10 minutes to reach the location of the hunt…by which point we missed it.
2. Create your own egg hunt
Can you imagine the pushing and shoving that must happen when kids are let loose to go hunting for half a million chocolate eggs? I suggest having your own private egg hunt in the garden.
Note if you miss your allotted egg hunt timeslot you may not be able to join another time slot. There is a queue to be part of the hunt, so you have to get there earlier than the scheduled time.
3. BYO food, drink and coffee
The lines for all food, drink and particularly coffee are very long. Also, food options are pretty junky and relatively expensive.
We normally BYO all our food and snacks and just buy ice cream on the day.
4. Check out the cafe or restaurant at the Mansion Hotel
If you haven’t come with pre-prepared food then try the hotel cafe, which has a selection of hot lunch dishes as well as takeaway sandwiches and pies. The lines are shorter there, there is shelter and comfortable seating and it’s a place to recharge away from the crowds.
If your kids like dining out you can also try the hotel restaurant Joseph’s which provides an excellent upmarket but relaxed dining experience (they have high chairs).
5. Set up home base
Most people seem to spend the majority of the day at Werribee Park so you need a visible spot to congregate for food and drink (see above) and rest breaks.
We see picnic rugs, beach tents, tables and chairs, right up to covered marquees.
6. Bring cash
Food and entertainment operate mainly on a cash basis and I’m not sure there’s an ATM in the hotel. You can go on unlimited rides with a prepaid wristband.
Most of the rides are more suitable for the older kids, toddlers are limited to probably the spinning teacups (which is still fun).
Easter Events in Melbourne
More things to do in Wyndham for kids
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