Travelling Soul Sister

Spring in Melbourne. Usually that would mean warmer days, defrosting, sunshine, and shorts. However this winter has felt like a long one, in fact as I wrote this, the wind is blowing so hard that birds are clinging for dear life onto branches and my pooch is curled up in a ball next to me, scared to move an inch.

For a special September treat, the weekend provided some rare sun, quick, grab the sunscreen! For the first time in a long time, no eskimo jackets were needed outside.  So what else would one do as soon as a nice day arrives? Head to an ice skating rink of course.

My kids and I headed off to the Olympic Ice Skating centre in Oakleigh South, Victoria. Ready to kiss the sun goodbye and don the jackets and gloves just for fun.

So there we were, little boots sorted and penguin skate aids ready to go. The penguins are great for kids going on the ice for the first time, they glide across the ice and are weighted at the bottom which helps with balance and confidence.  The kids eyes were wide with excitement, I was just hoping we left with all bones intact.

I think people assume (me included!) that as soon as they get on the ice all of a sudden they will be able to glide gracefully like Torvill and Dean, spinning, leaping and twirling effortlessly around the ice rink. The reality is more of a hilarious backwards and forwards lets do the time warp drunken wobbles kind of dance.

We started like this…….

The ice rink wasn’t too busy, which made it perfect for my little ones to get used to having razor sharp metal blades strapped to their feet. They started off gingerly, adapting to their ‘skate legs’ so to speak and before I knew it they were whizzing around the rink like little lightening bolts, their tiny legs moving like Speedy Gonzales. I was a proud mumma.

In no time, we were like this….

Every now and then I would hear the sound of a thunder clap, which was in fact just someone hitting the deck. Most would laugh, using humour to hide their actual pain or embarrassment or both. I was one of them, so no judging from me! A few others didn’t look so fortunate, looking at the ice rink like it had tripped them up on purpose, how dare it!

I was really impressed with the whole experience, my kids absolutely loved the skating, and are super keen to attend the disco that they run on Saturday nights. If skating is not your thing they have a onsite cafe, but I highly recommend giving it a go, whatever your age 😉

Olympic Ice Skating Centre in located at 1080 Centre Rd Oakleigh South, VIC. 

Check the website for session / opening times:

http://www.icerink.com.au

PH: (03) 9579 3755