HURSTVILLE residents will have a chance to escape into the cool of the bush to celebrate Australia Day.
Oatley Park has proven a successful venue for previous Australia Days and it is an ideal place to take the family.
City kids can experience country activities such as sheep shearing and cow milking demonstrations, along with the usual fun things like amusement rides, face painting and balloon art.
The event will be the biggest yet, with a superb line-up of free entertainment including performances from Dora the Explorer, Spider Man, and Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook.
Children will have a chance to meet the characters and make their own pirate hat or fairy wings.
Budding young paleontologists will discover fossils and bones at the Dinosaur Discovery workshop (10am to 4pm) at Steamroller Park.
Hurstville residents bound for Oatley Park are encouraged to leave their cars at home and catch a free shuttle bus.
The shuttle will depart every 30 minutes, from 9.15am, from three separate pick-up sites at Hurstville.
- Route A: The bus will depart from Hurstville Transport Interchange (side A), Hurstville, and will pick up festivalgoers at the bus stop on Bridge Street, Penshurst before heading to Oatley Park.
- Route B: The bus will depart from outside Mortdale Hotel in Pitt Street, Mortdale, and proceed to Mulga Road, Oatley, to a bus stop in front of the railway station. It will then go to a bus stop outside of Coles Supermarket on Mulga Road, Oatley, before travelling to Oatley Park.
- Route C: The bus will depart from the front of the railway station at Toroonga Terrace, Beverly Hills, before going to the railway station in Thurlow Street, Riverwood. It then goes to Oatley Park. The last shuttle leaves Oatley Park at 4.45pm.
The road at the main entrance to Oatley Park, Oatley, will be closed through to the Five Ways.
Access to and from the baths and The Castle will be by the Douglas Haig Street entrance only. A free, trackless train will move people between the main entrance and Steamroller Park, Oatley.