What: A one-hour thrilling and (very) steep ride up Coolangatta Mountain aboard a 4WD monster truck.
Expect: White knuckles – the slope gets as steep as 45 degrees in parts. Really!
Tim’s Tip: If it’s raining, still book in, you’ll be under cover in Bigfoot and the kids will absolutely love the tyres churning through the mud.
Look out for: Shy wallabies hiding in the underbrush on the drive up to the summit.

Don’t miss: The view from the top of the mountain looking down over Seven Mile Beach to the north and beyond. Breathtaking.
Did You Know? This is one of only two monster truck tours of this kind in Australia. The other chugs over sand dunes at Lancelin in Western Australia.
When: Daily at 11.30am (sometimes at other times) during school holidays but call ahead to confirm.
Cost: Adults $25, children (under 14 years) $15. Family ticket $60. Bookings: https://bishopsadventures.com.au/bigfoot-adventures/ or Ph: 0428 244 229.
Take me there: Coolangatta Estate, Shoalhaven Heads (about a 2.5-hour drive from Canberra). An easy day trip or make a weekend out of it and stay at nearby Jervis Bay. Visit www.shoalhaven.com and build your trip.

What: Frolf in the snow.
Expect: Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, you can still have fun on the slopes by playing disc golf, a curious cross between frisbee and golf (hence its nick-name of frolf).
Tim’s Tip: Disc golf is played with similar rules to traditional golf, however frisbees or discs are used instead of balls, with players throwing the disc from a tee area, then completing the hole by successfully putting their disc into an elevated metal basket in the least amount of throws possible.
Look out for: Wombats live near the course and their telltale paw prints can often be seen after a fresh snowfall. Be sure to follow the arrow in the baskets to the next tee, not the animal footprints.
Don’t miss: If you want to test your tossing technique before attempting these high-altitude baskets, practise in Canberra first. There are courses in both Eddison Park, Woden, and John Knight Memorial Park, Belconnen. Throw in the lakeside course at Jindabyne and heck, you have the makings of a disc golf crawl!
Did You Know? Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
When: Open every day – rain, hail or snow!

Cost: Free and bookings aren’t necessary, but if you don’t have your own disc you will need to either buy or hire one per player from the Sports Centre at the Valley Terminal in Thredbo. Ph: 6459 4100. $10 per disc per day or $20 per family.
Take me there: The course weaves in and around the Thredbo Golf Course, located at the southern end of the village, about a three-hour drive from Canberra. Don’t forget the snow chians.

What: NatureArt Lab: courses especially designed for kids focusing on art inspired by nature.
Expect: Face-to-face encounters with both live specimens as well as a natural history collection of butterflies, beetles, dragonflies and cicadas.
Tim’s Tip: Be sure to check out the microscopes which are set up for the kids to have an even closer look at nature.
Look out for: Organisers have told me they have a star-studded line-up of critters ready for the budding artists. These include green tree frogs, turtles, blue-tongues, shinglebacks and even a diamond python. Wow!
Don’t miss: Kids also make their own nature journals which will increase their interest in nature and its importance in the world.
Did You Know? All the tutors are science communication experts and award-winning artists.
When? Operates both weeks of school holidays. July 9-11 and July16-18. Three-hour morning sessions for children aged 5-8 and afternoons for those aged 9-12 years.
Cost: $70 for one session or $150 for three sessions. Bookings essential via www.natureartlab.com.au or Ph 0414 342 839.
Take me there: NatureArt Lab is at Workspace A, M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Cres, Griffith.

What: Orienteering for beginners at Tidbinbilla.
Expect: Your kids not to get lost on this treasure hunt in the bush.

Tim’s Tip: This first ever joint Tidbinbilla-Orienteering ACT event is designed for primary school aged kids, but parents are welcome to tag along (and may learn a thing or two!)
Look out for: Those two Tidbinbilla favourites - Eastern grey kangaroos and emus trying to lead you off-course. Oh, and now is the best time to listen out for male lyrebirds calling for mates in the forest.
Don’t miss: This 90-minute session will be a fun and interactive mix of active and reflective activities that introduce the basics of orienteering.
Did You Know? There are several other school holiday programs at Tidbinbilla. A favourite with my two girls is their ranger-led damper making sessions. Yum.
When? Monday, July 16. 1pm-2.30pm & 3pm-4.30pm (two sessions on the same day).
Cost: $5 per person. Bookings essential: http://tix.yt/tidbinbilla-orienteering or Ph: 6205 1233.
Take me there: Tidbinbilla is located on Paddys River Road, in the ACT.

What: An after-dark torchlight tour of Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary.
Expect: To venture deep into the sanctuary where, protected by a predator-proof fence, native animals are thriving in the absence of feral animals such as cats and foxes.
Tim’s Tip: Rug up, it will be chilly, but that’s all part of the fun.
Look-out for: Ultra-cute sugar gliders – ask your tour guide to show you one.
Don’t miss: This opportunity to step back in time and under the cover of darkness, experience the Australian bush as it was over a century ago.
Did You Know? In 2012, Eastern Bettongs were reintroduced into the sanctuary. This marked the first time in a century that this species was living in the wild on mainland Australia.
When: One-hour spotlight tours each Wednesday in the school holidays. Two sessions, 5-6pm and 6.15pm–7.15pm.
Cost: $15. Bookings essential: www.mulligansflat.org.au/tours or Ph: 0428 224 904.
Take me there: Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary is in Forde, in the ACT. You will receive directions to the start point when booking.

What: A kid-friendly walk along The Box Vale Track which follows an abandoned mining railway line, through palm-lined cuttings, along embankments now festooned in rainforest, and best of all, into a sandstone tunnel.
Expect: Although the surrounding country is steep and rocky, the track itself is relatively flat and the return walk (8.8 kilometres in total) takes about three hours.
Tim’s Tip: Make sure you go all the way to the end of the track, where perched on the edge of the Nattai Gorge, a lookout boasts an expansive view to the Blue Mountain peaks of Guouogang (1289m) and Cloudmaker (1163m) on the north-west horizon.
Look out for: Koalas – the last three times the yowie clan have done this walk we’ve seen a koala. Usually in the heavily forested first two kilometres.
Don’t miss: The tunnel. Measuring 84 metres long, this tunnel located mid-way through the walk is short enough that you won’t need a torch, but sufficiently long that you’ll need to be careful not to trip over corrugations where the railway sleepers once lay.
Did You Know? Since first featuring in this column six years ago, this Southern Highland’s adventure become a favourite for many Canberrans.
When: Open every day.
Cost: Free.
Take me there: The start of the Box Vale Walking Track is about 250 metres off the old Hume Highway at Welby. The turn-off for the track head is signposted but is easy to miss — it is 3.7 kilometres west of Mittagong and 0.8 kilometres east of the Wombeyan Caves Road. You can download a map of the walk at www.southern-highlands.com.au (Just type ‘Box Vale’ in the search box).

What: Discover the dramatic coastline between Pretty and Pebbly Beach.
Expect: To escape the chill of Canberra on this adventurous trek which winds through magical Murramarang National Park.
Tim’s Tip: While to complete the 11km circuit you’ll need at least a moderate level of fitness; the yowie clan often just beachcomb for an hour or so from either beach and then turn around.
Look out for: Whales swimming north for their winter migration.

Don’t miss: Nature lovers come from all over the world to see the kangaroos on the beaches, so don’t forget your camera.
Did You Know? The NSW government recently allocated $3.6 million for the development of the Murramarang South Coast Walk, a 39-kilometre four-day walk that includes this section of coast and links Batemans Bay to Bawley Point. When completed, it’ll be one of Australia’s great walks.
When: The walk should only be attempted in calm conditions and at low-tide. If unsure ask a local ranger first. Better to be safe than sorry.
Cost: Free, after national park entry.
Take me there: Make a weekend of it and bunk down in one of the national park cabins at Pretty Beach where they have a stay 3, pay for only 2 nights deal until October. Web: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au Ph: 44572019.

CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns online.

Louise Burgess reckons the face in this tree, located near the entrance to her Lake George farm, resembles a cross between a kangaroo and a unicorn. Can you ‘see’ the uniroo?

Clue: In summer, a much ‘bluer’ outlook.
Degree of difficulty: Medium-Hard.

Congratulations to Russell Borgeaud of Giralang who was the first reader to correctly identify last week’s photo, above, as Sawyers (Hill) Hut, located immediately beside the Snowy Mountains Highway, near the Rocky Plains Fire Trail.
Borgeaud, who just beat Ray Arthur of Conder and Doris Wallace of Kambah to the prize, reports he passes the landmark hut which was rebuilt following the 2003 bushfires, on regular trips to Tooma River and Wheelers Hut.
“Your columns encourage me to explore more of the region,” reports first-time winner Borgeaud, who, although he confesses he “has no idea about most of the mystery photos, this one just jumped out at me!”

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday July 7, 2018 will win a double pass to Dendy - The Home of Quality Cinema.