Want to get your photo taken with Santa? Head on down to Lake Haven Centre from 27 November and you’ll get to have your festive snaps taken by the fantastic crew at Scene to Believe – Ol’ Saint Nick in tow!
They’ve got a huge selection of packages you can choose from and they start at just $23.95. Plus, if you’ve got little ones with unique needs or abilities, they’ll be running separate Sensitive Santa sessions so your family can escape the hustle and bustle. And those families with furry friends who don’t want to miss out on the action can also book a special pet-friendly session!
Scene to Believe will be operating all the way up to Christmas Eve so if you haven’t locked in your Santa snaps yet, you’ve still got heaps of time.
Who: Scene to Believe at Lake Haven Centre
Price: Packages start at $23.95.
When: Santa photo sessions are daily from 27 November 2021 – 24 December 2021. Pet photo sessions are available on Thursdays 2, 9 & 16 December and Fridays 10 & 17 December, between 3.30pm and 7pm. Sensitive Santa sessions will run on Monday 13 December between 8am and 9am.
Location: Lake Haven Centre.
Contact: Lake Haven Centre 4392 7800.
Discover more of what’s happening at Lake Haven Centre below…
There’s an Outdoor Playground at Lake Haven Centre
Did you know that Lake Haven Centre has an outdoor playground? A promise of a play at the end of the grocery shopping is a sure-sign way to get to the checkout without a heap of grizzling.
The playground is located next to the northern entry of the centre, just opposite Nargis Indian & Kebab. And it’s all about pirates, with a large ship to climb and explore! On the lower deck, there’s a mini swing and lots of seating for the pirate crew to sit while they sail the seven seas. Climb the rope ladder or stairs to the top deck to find a steering wheel, binoculars and a slippery slide that’ll have the kids yelling, “Yarrr, me hearties!” on the way down. Don’t forget to check out the spinner in the back corner for some dizzying fun too.
Lake Haven Centre’s playground gets two big thumbs up from us for having a shade cloth, soft fall rubber, plenty of seating for parents, and for being fully fenced (super necessary as it’s perched next to the car park).
It’s a great place for little ones who are into imaginative play and is suitable for kids up to eight years old. Its opening hours are 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, and 10.00am to 4.00pm Sundays and public holidays.
Dining at Lake Haven Centre
Need to refuel after a morning of play? Head inside the entrance next to the playground and turn right for the food court. Here you’ll find options like:
- Soul Origin – they do a mean babyccino and banana bread, and they also have a range of lunch baguettes and paninis, and gourmet salads.
- LeWrap – we love this place because they make your wrap fresh on the spot. Go the Mediterranean vegetarian or the sweet chilli chicken. If your littles don’t fancy a wrap, the kids menu has chicken schnitzel and chips.
- Boost Juice – everyone’s favourite juices and smoothies! Does anyone order anything besides Mango Magic?
- Sushi Hub – our go-to sushi franchise on the Coast. If you’ve got a craving for maki roll or a sashimi salad, they’ll sort you out. Oh, and their sushi rolls are tasty for kids to munch on while you push them around in the trolley or pram.
- The Little Cha Bubble Tea – grab delicious milk teas, frappes or a thirst quenching lemonade before going about your shopping business!
A Family Lounge is also located just off the food court. This includes nappy changing facilities, a nursing room, microwave oven services, a small play area and a child-friendly restroom.
If you’re after sweet treats, there’s a Donut King right next to Coles. There’s a fab candy shop, Sweet Surprises, across from the playground too. It has wall-to-wall sweet and treats from America, the UK, South Africa, New Zealand and more. It also has a noteworthy range of PEZ dispensers for any collectors out there.
Be sure to check out The Cheesecake Shop too. It neighbours Australia Post on the outside of the centre and is good to keep in mind if you need a last-minute birthday cake.
Speaking of the outside of Lake Haven Centre… Here you’ll find ALL the fast food options. A Pizza Hut restaurant you can dine in, Red Rooster, Subway, Hungry Jack’s and a McDonalds with a playground so cool it had one of our young reviewers talking about it for days after our visit. More on that below!
Shopping at Lake Haven Centre
Need to grab a gift or some activities for the kids? Here are our recommendations:
EB Games
This one is especially awesome if you need to get something for a tween or teen. Here you’ll find Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox and PC games. This store also boasts a ZiNG, where you can load up on TV, movie and gaming merchandise, clothing and collectibles. Can’t decide? They do gift vouchers.
Sanity
Another good shop for tweens and teens. Besides music and DVD boxsets, Sanity stocks puzzles, board games and boasts a large Pop! Vinyl range. This is the place to go to when you need to buy a birthday present – they cover lots of interests, so you’ll definitely find something that suits you.
Go Vita
Stock up on all your vitamins and organic foods at the health food store – Go Vita, which carries everything from seaweed to sleepy tea!
Crazy Bargains
If you need some inspo for what to do with the kids on a rainy day, head here. It has aisles of craft supplies (think stickers, beads, ribbons, coloured paper, stationery and glitter for days), plus a party section packed with costumes, wigs and every colour paper plate, napkin and tablecloth you’ll ever need.
Entertainment at Lake Haven Centre
There’s lots to do in and around the centre. As you walk through, you’ll spot lots of ride-ons, ranging from go-karts to Hello Kitty cars. When we visited, there was also a Super Mario-themed claw machine.
On the outside of Lake Haven Centre, you’ll find:
- Lake Haven Library – if you’re in the area on a Wednesday, they have Storytime at 10.45am.
- Metro Cinemas Lake Haven – this new luxurious state-of-the-art eight-screen cinema plays all the latest releases and is housed inside a vibrant, starry building. You can’t miss it.
- McDonald’s Playland – wow, this is such a fun one! Designed for children three to 11 years, this playground features a series of curvy ramps that create a vertical maze. It has some serious height to it, and kids have to find their way to one of two tunnel slides (which are on two different levels) to make their way back down. It’s the ultimate energy burner and such a unique idea. Prepare for lots of giggling and perhaps some direction-giving if you have younger kids.
Have Some ‘Me Time’ at Bouncebak Gym
Did you know there’s a women’s-only gym on the Coast? Bouncebak at Lake Haven Centre is run by local women for local women.
They offer small group training focusing on fun, fast and effective workouts. Their classes are suited to all ages and all fitness levels, and include Pilates, Yoga, Fitness A Go-Go, Boxing, POUND, Body Fusion, Strength, Zumba Fusion, Dancefitness, Kegels, Circuit, Tabata and more. We especially love that they “care first and foremost that people MOVE and gain back confidence through body positivity.”
Lake Haven Cente
Open: Monday-Wed 9am-5.30pm; Thursday 9am–9pm; Friday 9am–5:30pm; Saturday 9am–5pm; Sunday 10am–4pm.
Location: Lake Haven Centre, Lake Haven Drive & Goobarabah Avenue, Lake Haven.
Contact: 4392 7800, www.lakehavencentre.com.au
