Do you ever think how lucky we are to live in the Illawarra? Not only do we have gorgeous beaches and ocean pools around every corner, we are also surrounded by stunning national parks – one of them being Dharawal National Park. Once we have exhausted our beach options, my favourite place to take the kids is Maddens Falls.

It is just across the road from Darkes Glenbernie Orchard and such an easy walk for little kids to the waterfall. I'm no athlete, so when I say easy, I mean easy. I usually strap my littlest to my front and carry all our swimming necessities down there.

The kids get distracted easily on the way down and up because of all the animals and plants they see. From lizards to birds to bottlebrushes (which they think are wounds), the time down to the lookout passes easily. I do get overly nervous about the kids near cliff edges but the view is totally worth it. You can see the waterfall dropping from Maddens Creek to the pools below.

We then go up to the top of the waterfall, cutting across the walking path. After popping the kids in their swimmers, we can muck around in the creek shallows for hours. The kids splash around, eat snacks, apply more sunscreen. It's a great day out when the weather is right.

Learn more about Dharawal National Park and its significance to the Dharawal Aboriginal people here