I recently spent 5 nights at the Reef View Hotel.

Check in was very quick and we were provided with a packet that included the hotel information as well as a map of the island and information about the various activities and tours available on the island.

The room was a little dated and could do with a thorough spring clean (dusty cupboard shelves, behind the doors, bottom of shower door) and the door uses an actual key (I don't think I've stayed in a hotel that uses physical keys rather than key cards in a very long time). In saying that the room was clean and housekeeping did a good job - I just think that they need to spend more time cleaning the less obvious spots in the room as these seemed to have been overlooked. The room was spacious and the bed comfortable however I expected more from a 'luxury' accommodation. The view from the balcony over the ocean was beautiful. The bath was quite deep and large and made for some relaxing bath soaks.

Our accommodation included a buffet breakfast each morning which was very satisfying and included lots of options.

All of the staff that we encountered were friendly and seemed genuinely happy to go out of their way to make sure our stay was pleasant.

I would stay here again but probably not until they update/upgrade their rooms a bit for the price that was paid.

Approximate cost: $320

We ordered online through their website at 5.30pm for delivery in Craigieburn as we didn't have any cash on us so appreciated being able to pay by credit card. Within a few minutes of placing the order I received an sms on my mobile phone advising that the order would be delivered at approximately 6.15pm.

At 6.30pm we were starting to get very hungry so called to check and make sure our delivery order hadn't been forgotten and were advised by friendly staff that the order would be there within the next 10 minutes, but didn't really offer any apology.

At 6.55pm we were starving and our order finally arrived and at least the delivery driver acknowledged that our order was late and apologised.

The pastas that we ordered were lasagna, fettuccine carbonara, fettuccine polo avocado funghi, and a spaghetti marinara. We also ordered a hawaiian pizza and garlic prosciutto pizza.

The pastas were all generous sizes and steaming hot when we removed the lids. The lasagna was delicious and the spaghetti marinara was good too although a little light on the seafood. Both the fettuccine were creamy without being too oily.

The pizzas were a bit disappointing. They tasted fine but we did need to reheat them in the microwave as they were only just warm. At least the toppings were generous.

Overall I probably wouldn't order from them again. While the food was of a good standard it was expensive and the hour and a half wait was a huge let down especially as we were all quite hungry to begin with.

Approximate cost: $90

My family and I recently ate at The McIvor after driving past it for years!

We were seated quickly and given menus to look through. The menu had a few gluten free meals listed as well as lots of other meals - there was a very good variety. We got our drinks and placed our orders and in no time all of the meals were served.

The chicken parma was delicious and not too greasy, and the chicken breast with bacon and sauce dish was delicious too. The battered fish and chips were fairly tasty and came with a nice tartare sauce. The asian stir-fry and the seafood risotto were also good.

The meals came with either chips and salad or vegetables and the vegetables looked great and were actually freshly cooked vegies as opposed to the frozen mixed vegies that some bistros serve.

We were all very impressed with the quality and size of the meals and will definitely be returning in the future.

They only do meals on Tuesdays-Sundays.

We ate indoors in the Bistro area but had a sticky beak outside. They have a really nice outdoor beer garden setup that almost has a tropical feel to it with all of the palm trees and grass plants. There is also an undercover area to the beer garden that has some tables and chairs along with a pool table and a music Juke box. Where we ate, in the Bistro area there was modern dark wooden tables and chairs and matching decor - very modern and sophisticated looking. At the start of the evening when it wasn't too busy the noise level was ok but towards the end of the meal it was getting quite noisy (just the background noise of other people also dining) making it a little difficult to hear.

Approximate cost: $25

When we arrived we were promptly seated and a staff member took our drink orders while we browsed over the menus. When our waitress came back with the drinks she took our food orders and helped us to work out how much food we would need for our table.

The jug of softdrink that we ordered was $9 and gave us about 5 1/2 glasses of drink. After we had finished the jug a couple of us decided to order an additional glass of softdrink costing $3 each and so were expecting a larger sized glass however the drinks were served in the same small glasses.

The meals were brought out to the table about 10 minutes later. All meals arrived at the same time. Each of the meals were of a generous size.

The fried rice was fine, as was the chicken and vegetables, and the honey chicken dish that we ordered. The pork in plum sauce was disappointing - the pork was quite dry and not very hot, only warm. The beef and vegetables were ok but tasted a bit bland, there wasn't as much flavour as the other dishes. Also, I felt that there weren't as many vegetables included with the dishes compared to other Chinese restaurants that I have eaten at.

The staff were friendly enough and the food was ok but I expected a higher quality for the price that we paid.

Approximate cost: $18.50

This new play centre is amazing!!

It is within the Bendigo Park Lane Holiday Park complex, towards the back of the site. When you drive through the park and up the back you will find ample parking spaces on the cleared dirt area near the large play centre. You then need to walk back to the main reception area of the holiday park to pay for your kids and to receive the wrist tags that all kids are required to wear.

Upon first entering the play centre I was absolutely amazed at how large the play area is. It is all fully enclosed with netting making it safer for younger kids to climb and play without the risk of falling from a big height. There are four levels of padded play equipment including two mini trampolines, a ball pit, a few large slides, a mini padded flying fox, an area with foam balls that you can insert into machines that shoot them up in the air, and numerous padded foam climbing obstacles.

This is the largest play centre that I have ever been to and has something for kids of all ages. As there are so many levels and so many sections to play in.

The toilets were extremely clean and the table and chair areas were clean too. There are several couches around the room of the play center where parents can sit while their children are playing, however because the center is so large and with so many areas I would encourage parents of young kids to go into the play areas with them.

This play center is awesome and is definitely now my preferred play center to visit, and for $5 for kids under aged 3, it is cheaper than the other local indoor play centre and offers kids much more room to run around and much more equipment to play on.

Approximate cost: $5

Even though it turns out that this business is quite close to my town, I actually found out about them at the Plenty Road market in Bundoora while I was visiting family in Melbourne.

City Chicks is a family run business that sell poultry supplies, poultry housing, feed, and of course a range of chickens, roosters, ducks, and turkeys. The poultry are all hatched and raised free range.

They sell adult chickens who are at their prime laying age, as well as day old chickens who are actually between the ages of one day and a couple of weeks old. The baby chickens are 'sexed' however if by chance one does turn out to be a rooster they will happily exchange it for a hen.

On the day of the market City Chicks didn't have any birds readily available - you had to pre-order them by phone or through their website. They only bring along the pre-ordered poultry rather than carting lots of chickens around.

What really impressed me was how knowledgeable City Chicks staff were and how willing to take the time to discuss our possible future chicken needs.

Approximate cost: $20

I've always found the staff to be friendly but in a busy/rushed kind of way as it seems that no matter what time of day you visit they are always busy serving people.

They make salad rolls, sandwiches and foccacias however I usually get their shepherd's pies or sausage rolls, along with a couple of party pies for the kids. Their large family sized pies are handy for quick dinners to feed the family and reasonably priced at $9.50.

Their selection of cakes and slices are ok, nothing exceptional, but still tasty. I find that their peppermint, caramel and hedgehog slices can be a bit sickly sweet so I can't eat a whole one.

Their freshly baked breads are good though. I recommend visiting their bakery around Easter time when they are making hot cross buns full of fruit.

Approximate cost: $3.50

Coffee Crema have an extensive tea/coffee/hot chocolate menu comparable to Starbucks or Gloria Jean. They make delicious iced coffees/frappes and smoothies, yummy white hot chocolates, peppermint flavoured hot chocolates, not to mention their nutella mochas, the cute designs that they make in the coffee froth, and their bubbacinos make my little ones very happy!

Their food tastes pretty good too. They have a cake fridge which is well stocked with homemade cakes, slices and cookies. They have good breakfast meals available and are open early for breakfasts but I have never eaten any of these meals. I have eaten their gourmet burgers and tortilla wraps though and highly recommend.

The girls are very friendly and make your orders up very quickly. There is indoor and outdoor seating available.

I had purchased fish and chips from here from the previous owners but not since the business changed hands and became 'Bendigo Gourmet Fish Shop'. Upon entering the store I observed that the shop looks clean and modern and has clearly listed the menu options and prices on the signage.

Service was quick, they were quite busy taking customer's orders, telephone orders, and cooking the food, however they were still moving the customers through promptly. The friendly staff worked well as a team and were very efficient.

The chips tasted really good and were crisp on the outside but soft inside and were a decent portion size for the value. The battered flake was good, nothing exceptional, but good nonetheless. The potato cakes were crispy and not at all soggy and the steamed dim sims were definitely a highlight.

Definitely worth trying out this fish and chip shop if you are in the White Hills area!

Approximate cost: $14

The menu looked great and had lots of different meals to choose from. Our table enjoyed a chicken parmigiana, carbonara, chicken cristeau, and the surf and turf (scotch fillet steak and lobster). They had a pot and parma special on where you could choose from about 8 different styles of chicken parmigianas.

Meals were prepared relatively quickly and were quite generous in size! All of our meals tasted delicious and were well presented. The prices are very reasonable.

Really friendly service - we were all very impressed with how welcoming all of the staff were and and how attentive the service was.

The atmosphere of the bistro was casual and relaxed, and the decor was simple but classy. The outdoor beer garden looked good and was obviously newly renovated/landscaped. The exterior of the pub looks a bit plain but don't judge a book by it's cover or you'll miss out on a fantastic dining experience.

Approximate cost: $17-31