I have been taking both my boys to Gymbaroo since they were 6 months old. They love it so much that sometimes we have to play Gymbaroo at home!
A lot of the Gymbaroo experience depends on the staff and we have been very lucky to have Andrea as our teacher. She is a wonderful source of information for neurological development in terms of intellectual, social and emotional development for any age group. She is also very friendly and approachable, and is good at giving advice without being patronising. The assistants, Robin and Janine, are also lovely and my boys look forward to seeing them every week.
There has been a change of management 6 months ago and I'm hoping and praying that things don't change too much because it is just perfect the way it is.

Approximate cost: $200 per 10-week term

The prices are great and the range is fantastic. The quality can be a bit hit-and-miss though, so pick carefully.

Both my kids do swimming lessons here. The quality of the lessons depends a lot on the teacher they have, but we have got to know most of them so if we get a teacher that's not up to scratch we usually change times to get a better one. (Sometimes you have to wait a few months to change as the classes are mostly full.)
I find it annoying that when I take my toddler there outside of lessons, I have to pay full price for myself (as well as children's price for him) just because I am entering the water. Of course I have to go in, he's only 2, but I can guarantee you, I'm not swimming! I think I should be eligible for a Non-swim entry, since I'm not swimming.

I have been coming to this vet with my dog for the past 8 years. I love the vets here (especially Linda and Claire) because they are very friendly and they take the time to answer all of my questions. They also saw my dog straight away when she was bitten by another dog, and operated on her that day. They did a wonderful job and she made a full recovery.

I contacted Karen Buckingham when my son had persistent glue-ear, and I didn't want to repeat his grommet operation. I wasn't sure if it would work, but after 10 sessions (we may not have needed all of them) he had his hearing test and it was perfect! I was so thrilled, not only because we didn't have to go through another operation, but because Karen fixed the root cause of the problem (rather than just dealing with symptoms).
Karen was lovely to deal with, and very patient. She is clearly experienced in dealing with young, active children. She also made the time to answer all of my (extensive) questions.
Of course, osteopathy might not work in every case, but if your child has a persistent glue ear I highly recommend you give Karen a go!

Approximate cost: $75 per session, partially refunded by private health insurance

We love Waverley Meadows Pre-school! The staff are amazing. They are very caring, experienced and hard-working. They develop the whole child: intellectually, emotionally and socially. I am always comfortable in approaching them for advice with any issue that my child happens to be going through (and trust me, we've had a couple!)
There is plenty of opportunity for parental involvement (if that's your thing), from participating in kinder sessions, sharing a special skill, or being on the committee.
I also love that they have two 3-year-old groups split by age: 3yo and "deferred 4yo". If your younger 3yo is not quite ready for the 4yo group in the following year, they can benefit from doing an extra year in the deferred-4yo group. My son has done this and it has been a godsend because he did an extra year of 3yo without actually repeating (since deferred-4 is a step up). Older 3yos start in deferred-4 and move to 4yo. It's also great because the 3yo groups have an age range of about 8 months each, rather than 16 months which happens at some other pre-schools, and that tighter age group benefits all the children.
The facilities are great, inside and out.
Lucky I've got another boy starting there soon because my eldest is going to school next year and I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to this kinder yet!

There are lots of dentists here, but the one we always see is James Kwong. He's excellent, which unfortunately means he's booked way in advance. But if you have an emergency he will squeeze you in (you just have to go in and wait). He also tends to be running late, so don't book yourself for anything afterwards. His work is great though: he did an amazing job with my wisdom teeth surgery (I didn't look like a chipmunk afterwards, like everyone told me I would).
He's a preferred dentist with many health insurance providers, so for me (with MBF/BUPA) I was getting 90% back.

I have been going to this playcentre for a number of years now. The staff are very friendly and take the time to talk to my chatterbox boys. My boys (5 & 2) love all the equipment and end up getting everywhere by the time we're through. The layout is great and I can usually see them from my table no matter where they are.
I have heard that on the weekends/school holidays it can be crowded, but I only go midweek anyway, because my boys don't like it when there are too many school kids to compete with. That would be a problem at any playcentre though.
I have bought a VIP pass which gives me discounted entry, discounted coffee and discounted parties. It's paid for itself many times over!

I attend this clinic with my whole family and find the service excellent. We see Dr. Shmerling, who is very pragmatic and doesn't fluff around. If he's away on any given day, then any of the other doctors are fine, too.
There were issues with getting in for an appointment a while ago while they were undergoing renovations, but I haven't had any problems since the work was completed.
It's great to have a pathology nurse there too, so if you need a blood test you can get it done on the spot.
They are a bit pricey and it's a pity children are not bulk-billed like at other clinics, but I'm glad to keep going there anyway.

Approximate cost: $Approx $35 out of pocket

I have been to Peninsula Medispa on two occasions and they have been sensational. I love their massages and facials the most. They have a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, and it's even fun just relaxing with a friend in their chill-out room before and after the treatment.
I always use the package specials that they have so I get excellent value for money - makes it worth the extra long drive for me.