Our amazing photographer & blogging friend, Tasmin escapes to Cockatoo Island

“My family are outdoorsy people and like to camp and hike, but we don’t seem to make the time to get out of the Sydney that often because there is so much cool stuff going on here all the time. Last weekend we visited Cockatoo Island to see the Outpost Project, a street art festival running until 11 December, and it was a good opportunity to take out our new Escape backpack carrier.

The festival is very cool and family friendly AND is free! All you have to do is take the ferry over and check out all the old warehouses decked out in graffiti art and full size installations. (And did you know on Sundays all families can buy Family Funday passes for $2.50 each that entitle you to unlimited trips on all public transport!) There was a hall of graffic tees, live works in progress, skateboard clinics for the kids, an area completely dedicated to a child’s world where your little ones can contribute to a cardboard city, and even the waterfront Island bar for a frosty beverage. If you are really keen on camping, you can even do that here too with advance bookings. Thank you Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

We packed the babe, now 8 months, into the Escape and she seemed quite happy. We tied a toy to the loop handle at the top for her to chew on, lashed down the ample sun shade and went on our way. It’s great that now I can have my partner carry the baby AND all our stuff! I jest…sort of. I unzipped the daypack part and carried that with my camera and sunscreen etc., but he did haul around the baby + baby essentials, some snacks, and our Camelbak water bladder which fits nicely in the dedicated pocket so we didn’t have to pay the obligatory $3 per plastic bottle. It was also a really warm day and I was happy not to have her warm little body pressed up against mine for 5 hours – we would have both been sweating buckets.

On the ferry she sat on her own seat, still strapped in since the frame is free-standing, and enjoyed being at our eye level watching everything going on. Once we landed on the island and started walking though, the siren song of naptime called her into slumber with us only having to throw a scarf over the sun hood and tuck it in the side pockets to help her tune out the world. I was worried a bit about her head hanging down since she was sitting pretty much vertically, but it was no more so than in a car seat. When we stopped for a drink before heading home we took the pack off and sat it next to the table where she continued to snooze – a massive improvement on wearing a hot little baby against your body and having to stand for your entire excursion. When she gets a bit bigger we can even use the foot stirrups to keep her knees in the ergonomic ‘M’ position for proper hip placement.

It was great to get out and see the island and although you could feasibly see most of it with a robust pram, uneven ground and packed ferries made us glad we went for the pack and I am foremost glad that she could sleep in it. My partner is convinced now that the Escape is his and the Smart can be mine.”

Thanks Tasmin – what a great story & images to go with your mini adventure!  So, now guys… How do you escape with the kids in tow? Please comment below this blog post