We love nothing more than a good weekend escape. Last month we had the opportunity to take our boys on a family adventure with the all-new Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLS, we had such a good time…it was sad to hand the keys back!
The Pajero Sport was ours to enjoy for the week, so we seized the opportunity to escape town for the long weekend and head for the hills. Our destination: Mt Tamborine in the Scenic Rim, Queensland.
Our last trip to this region was BK (Before Kids) when Mr Jetsetting Kids was finally ready to pop the BIG question. Despite the time that it took him to make what was clearly going to be the best decision of his life, I knew that I was onto a winner and said YES!
10 years later presented with the question of “Where should we take our family in this amazing all-new Pajero Sport”, the answer was obvious, we were going to go ’round the Mountain and head back to Tamborine.
WE LOVE A GOOD ROAD TRIP:
Our jetsetting travels are always great, but there is something that can be said for those simplistic escapes where you can just load up the car and GO. On these types of breaks the journey is often as much fun as the destination.
I often get asked what the hardest things are when travelling with kids and in my opinion it’s rushing around trying to keep up with the travel schedule. On road trips, you don’t often have that pressure…because you set the pace. Time doesn’t matter, which gives your family the chance to be more relaxed and step out and explore when and where it suits you. Road trips are a great way to teach your kids about adventure because you never know what you’re going to see next.
OUR ESCAPE TO MT TAMBORINE IN OUR PAJERO SPORT:
We had initially planned to spend the weekend camping. Despite a fairly sunny summer with very little rain, we weren’t so lucky this weekend. The weather forecast (a travelers best friend) didn’t look promising so I pulled the pin on camping based on the fact that I wasn’t quite ready for THAT amount of adventure! The boys were initially disappointed (they’ve never been camping) but quickly got over it when we described the alternative adventure that we had in store for them.
With the the kids onboard, our backup plan kicked into gear! We booked some great (read: dry) accommodation and set out for the Mountain. My husband & I took turns driving the Pajero Sport and we each found something unique about the ride:
What he said:
“Despite doing 400 kms over the weekend – my back doesn’t hurt at all”
“Android Auto is great! Always up-to-date Google Maps and I can play all my favourite songs to a captive audience!”
“The 8-speed auto helps the diesel stay quiet and matches the revs well under load.”
“Surprising cornering ability for a large vehicle.”
“4wd is easy to engage, even for a novice and great we don’t have to stop to change modes”
What she said:
“I can have my passenger seat pushed all the way back without squashing one of the kids”
“It’s raining but I feel safe and in control. There is fantastic visibility when I drive”
“FAST key passive entry lets me unlock the car and drive away without rummaging through my handbag.”
“The turning circle is better than my car”
“Yippee! I didn’t hit anything”. A great full colour reverse camera makes this all very clear and too easy.
“Oh honey, i’m not saying that YOU’RE geographically challenged… i’m just showing you that this Google Maps feature exists, you know for the OTHER husbands who might not know where they are going”.
What about the kids?
Throughout our escape the boys were perfect angels, proving that miracles do happen! I had packed enough activities and snacks to entertain and feed a small village; but generally they were just happy playing road trip games like eye spy and singing-a-long to songs .
When we all needed a break from each other (it happens), they used their iPads. The iPads were also quickly charged using one of the many USB ports available in the car and there was also the option to watch a movie by connecting your device to the Pajero’s 7″ touch screen display via HDMI cable.
What they said:
“We love being so high up mum!”
“It’s really easy to climb up” Referring to the side steps.
“Can we sleep in here please?” Referring to the boot – which was so massive that they probably could have.
“Can we hear another story please?” The Digital Radio channels were great and access to Kinderling WAS so handy to have on our trip.
“You’ve had a long turn Daddy. Can’t we listen to some of our favourite songs now” #nochance #greatsoundsystem
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR ESCAPE TO MT TAMBORINE:
The Glow-worm caves & Frogs of Frogs Hollow – Cedar Creek Estate
A 30 minute walk-through tour into a man-made cave featuring almost 5000 glow worms. The boys were blown away by the twinkling lights from the glow-worms and their fascinating lifecyle. Our boys (aged 6 & 4) love learning about nature and animals, so this was the perfect activity for them.
Gallery Walk Shopping – Tamborine Mountain
There is so much to see and do on Gallery Walk. You can check out art, jewelry and clothing. Make sure you stop for a treat or bite to eat along the way!
Thunderbird Park
You can stay and play here. We loved it and you and the kids will not be bored.
There are a range of activities to try during your stay including: An amazing tree top challenge and high ropes, laser tag, a dinosaur egg dig, putt putt golf, horse-riding and more.
When budgeting for a stay here, be sure to check out the prices for each activity before you come. Some of these are paid activities and they do add up. They are well maintained though to a high standard – no shabbiness here, so its worth the spend. There are many alternative activities also on offer including extensive paths for family bush walks and a lovely stream that runs through the Park that has shallow rock pools for children to play in. My boys would have played here happily for hours.
We noticed also that kids staying at the park tended to play together, leaving mum and dad some time to unwind and relax.
Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk North Tamborine
Tip: Visit before 4PM to experience this spectacular rainforest canopy walk. We just missed the last entry for this but had a quick look at the Skywalk. It looks like a must do. We will be back!
Walking Tracks
With many national parks in the vicinity, Tamborine is the perfect place to stretch those legs and take the kids for a bushwalk.
Picnics
Stock up on local cheeses and gourmet goodies (i’d say wine…but we were driving!) in Gallery Walk.
Then drive 5 minutes to one of the most idealic picnic spots around – Robert Sowter Park. The photos don’t do it justice. With uninterrupted views for as far as the eye can see, this place really is magical. Perched at the top of the mountain it’s also popular with hang-gliders which absolutely fascinated the kids.
FAMILY LIFE WITH THE ALL-NEW PAJERO SPORT:
During our week with the Pajero Sport we covered over 700kms of territory. Just like the kids, the car came with me everywhere!
– Saturday soccer loaded up with camping chairs, football gear as well as supplies for the weekend
– Bike rides and playground adventures being able to stand the bikes up in the boot leaving room for scooters and other essentials
– A trip through long weekend traffic to have an icecream at the famous Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast
– Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast for an overnight stay where my car was definitely at right home within its opulent surrounds
– Sanity saving coffee runs and grocery shopping where the boot looked surprisingly empty even with all my shopping loaded in
– School drop off and pick up each day
– And…travel to the office and back where the first time ever I didn’t mind being stuck in Brisbane traffic.
Towards the end of our trial week, Mr Jetsetting Kids had to go on a last minute work trip to Sri Lanka, leaving me with the kids and the car. It was my job to get the car seats out and back into our regular car at the end of the trial. This I did with no hassles, the big boot helping again with easy access to the anchor points and I was able to remove and reinstall the seats which is normally a huge chore.
THE VERDICT:
With four doors, five seats and a huge over-sized boot, THIS is the perfect car for the travelling family.
Got lots of luggage? No worries!
Travelling on or off road? No sweat – it’s a 4 wheel drive too!
This car is geared for the active family. Just select 4H on the Supper Select II 4WD dial before you reach the action and the Pajero Sport will engage four wheel drive almost instantly as you drive along. For the more adventurous, 4HLc & 4LLc help you tackle mud, sand and steep hills off road. Not to mention Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist and Off Road Modes for those tricky situations.
With a powerful 2.4L MIVEC Turbo Diesel Engine under the hood we can confidently say that the Pajero Sport will take you anywhere you want to go.
It’s agile, responsive and great on fuel too. We filled up just the once and this was only because I didn’t want to give it back with an empty tank. The Pajero Sport returned an impressive 8.3l/100km despite being loaded up and plenty of stop start traffic, hill climbs and some off road work.
Image: Mitsubishi Australia
We found the interior of the car to be roomy and comfortable. Leather seats, premium finishes and practical compartments including cup holders abound were all appreciated by us.
The car is stylish and sleek…and as you can see it takes a pretty picture.
My absolute favourite feature of this car is the voice activated in-car computer system that connects to my mobile with Apple Carplay. I was able to receive and respond to SMS messages on the road which kept us connected, but without touching the phone. There is nothing more important that my families safety, so this feature got a huge thumbs up from me. The car has also achieved a maximum ANCAP safety rating of 5 stars (making it one of the safest cars on the road) which is always comforting on any road trip.
Before our weekend escape, I might not have considered the Pajero Sport as a potential car for our family. This was purely based on the fact that from the outside it looks bigger than what I’m used to and let’s face it my parking abilities are not that great. I can however tell you, that after driving it extensively I was happy to be proved wrong – it’s fantastic and with parking assist, it all felt so effortless.
Overall we were very impressed with our trial of Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport GLS. We found it to offer a great combination of style, luxury and cutting-edge technology and we’d be happy to have it along for any of our future adventures.
DETAILS:
Mt Tamborine is positioned between the Gold Coast and Brisbane and is 1 hour and 20 minutes from Brisbane.
For more information visit a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Showroom near you.
CREDITS:
This car was offered for review purposes, all opinions are solely our own.
I loved this!!! So amazing to hear all of this xxx