Pirate Cove Adventure Golf (Aberavon Beach)

Since the ‘stay at home’ and ‘stay local’ restrictions have now been lifted in Wales, it’s time for us to start exploring and enjoying activities again.

We have still decided to stay local with this visit, as we anticipated a busy Easter holidays – so travelling too far wasn’t an option.

Although we are frequent visitors to Aberavon Beach, we haven’t previously visited the Adventure Golf course that has been open along the seafront for a few years.

The course is a Pirate themed mini golf course that consists of 12 holes. It’s aptly named Pirate Cove Adventure Golf.

The entrance to the course is situated next to the largest of the two children’s play parks along the seafront (near Francos Fish and Chip Bar). The best postcode to use is: SA12 7QA, which will take you along the main road, where you will be able to see the golf course and parks. There is parking along the beachfront. A limited number of spots are free, and are time limited to 2 hours, or alternatively there are paid car parks where you can park and stay all day.

You are greeted by a wooden hut, where you can pay for your game, and order any food/snacks/drinks if you wish. When we visited there were barriers set up to separate those queueing to go in, and those leaving.

The cost for 1 game was £12 (2 x adults, 2 x children) for a family ticket. Once you’ve paid, you go around to the back of the hut where you are given your score cards, golf clubs and balls. The staff were very friendly and allowed the boys to choose their own colour balls, and they had both adult and child sized clubs.

Hole 1 is next to the hut, so off we went!

And we’re off! Hole 1 of 12.

The course is well sign posted so it is clear where each hole starts, and there is ample room to wait between one hole and the next, if there are people in front of you. It was quiet when we were there, and everyone was respectfully keeping their distance.

After 12 holes of fun, passing through ships, and playing through shark infested waters, the boys decided they wanted to play another round. When I went to the hut to pay again, I was advised we could play again at the cost of £1 per person which was brilliant. In total, £16 for 2 rounds of golf 🙂

After we had finished our second round, we were asked to leave the clubs and balls along the fence, where they were then wiped down before the next use (due to COVID restrictions).

We finished off the trip with some cold drinks, a hot dog for the boys and some cake for the adults – delicious! They even had some Vegan/Vegetarian options on the menu which was lovely to see. The items were reasonably priced at less than £4 for a hotdog and a drink.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time out – and finished off with a walk along the seafront.

I can’t find a website, or a facebook page for the Adventure Golf, however I did manage to find a contact number online (07929 942381) that I used to find out whether or not I needed to book in advance. I was advised that there is no requirement to book a slot at this time, however this may change in the future. The opening hours for the day I visited were 11am-4pm, but again, this may change.

Oh no! He’s being eaten by a shark 🦈

Have you visited this attraction? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts 🙂

*Payment – we had the option to pay with both cash and card on the day of visiting*

*Please note* This attraction is mostly flat, and would be suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, although there are some narrower spaces such as a wooden bridge to cross.

*COVID-19* As already mentioned above, there were safety precautions in place to help adhere to social distancing, such as barriers and staff were visibly cleaning equipment in-between uses.

Scuba diving with Scuba Wales

Scuba diving – the sport or activity of swimming underwater using a scuba (self contained underwater breathing apparatus).

Scuba diving has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember but I hadn’t really had the opportunity to try it until our family holiday to Santorini in 2019, where I decided I finally wanted to have a go.

Long story short, it didn’t exactly go as planned! I could never envisioned what happened next.

As soon as I went completely under the water, I felt a overwhelming sense of panic. I could see as the water was calm and clear, I could breathe as I had the regulator in my mouth. I was only under ever so slightly, but I just felt trapped, like I was suffocating. I stood up from the bottom, and pushed myself up to the surface. I did after a few attempts, manage to stay down long enough for a photo (whilst gripping onto the instructors hand).

Holding on to my instructor

After the experience, I felt relieved I’d got back to dry land, but I did feel really disappointed in myself for not taking to it as quickly as I’d have liked too. I love the sea, I can swim comfortably and I’ve snorkelled before, so I couldn’t understand why I panicked – but I made a promise to myself that day that I would try again in the future as I wanted to get over my fear.

We visited Santorini late in the year, so the weather back in Wales was cold and rainy, but I started to research local scuba diving schools.

After some email enquiries and some phone calls, I came across Scuba Wales. You can visit their website by clicking here: https://scuba.wales – Dave’s contact details, choice of courses and price lists are all available on the website. Please do not hesitate to give him a call.

When I spoke to Dave on the phone and explained the panic I faced in Santorini, he immediately made me feel at ease. Dave said that I could go and do a try dive with the club, but only when I’m ready. He was both funny and informative and I knew after that first phone call that he was the instructor for me!

Then, lockdown hit – so all pools were closed, and we weren’t allowed to meet up with others. During this time, Dave arranged some zoom calls with himself and some of the other instructors/dive masters & students where we could learn some scuba theory before hitting the water. This really helped, as I think having a deeper understanding of the equipment used & how to use it properly helped to calm my nerves. They even suggested that we practice mask skills in the bath to help get used to adjusting the mask if we were in the pool etc.

When lockdown restrictions were lifted, we were still not allowed in the pool for some time, but we could now meet outside, so, we booked in for our first ‘try dive’ at Glynneath Lakes. Dave assured me that we would go at my pace through the session to ensure I didn’t become overwhelmed. As I was already familiar with the equipment by now through the zoom calls, this part seemed easy which was a good start 🙂

Glynneath Lakes (the smaller of the two)

We spent some time ensuring the equipment fit, that I was weighted properly and that I felt comfortable. There was absolutely no pressure at all during the session, it was extremely relaxed.

After the first try dive, I was already feeling a lot more confident – so I booked in to complete an ‘Open Water Certification’. This would take place over a number of sessions in confined pool sessions (when the pools reopened), open water (Glynneath Lakes) and would require me to complete certain skills, 4 dives of over 20 mins and an online assessment to pass. The online assessment was based on knowledge we gained through weekly zoom meetings and through doing the practical side of the course. We were also provided with a PDF guide with loads of information in, that was broken down into easy to read sections.

We actually completed all our training in Glynneath Lakes, rather than using a swimming pool, due to the pools being closed – however normal practice is a pool is used first, before moving onto open water.

The pool sessions are normally held on a Thursday evening in Aberavon Leisure & Fitness Centre; postcode SA12 6QW. However, the pools are still currently closed, and these sessions may be subject to change when the pools re-open. For the most up to date advice, please check the website or Facebook page for Scuba Wales.

My husband, Stepson and I signed up, and we have now all completed the ‘Open Water Certificate’ and had started working on our ‘Advanced Certificate’ before the 2020 Christmas lockdown (by which time it was too cold to go in the lakes anyway!). And the little two even got to have a go in the pool when they opened 👍🏻

Waiting to jump into the pool

After we had completed our certification dives, we continued going up the lake with Scuba Wales for the rest of the Summer, just to practice our skills. As we had qualified, we were then able to take a camera into the lake (which you aren’t allowed to do during your course for safety reasons) – so I have included some photos of some of our dives.

We are looking forward to recommencing our training this Spring as soon as the temperatures in the lake are sufficient enough for us to start, and we are all hoping to complete our Advanced Certificate before the Summer. We have one ‘deep’ dive left to complete our training.

I honestly cannot recommend Dave and the team at Scuba Wales enough. They have been superb throughout all my training and they treated me like an individual, listened to my concerns and encouraged me when I needed it. Without them, I honestly believe I wouldn’t have completed the Open Water course; and I definitely wouldn’t have signed up to do an Advanced course.

Have you tried Scuba diving before? How did you find it? Where have you been diving? I’d love to hear your experiences!

*Please note* Glynneath Lakes where the scuba diving sessions take place is private property. No one is allowed to enter or use the facilities without the permission of the landowner – we were allowed to go as part of the Scuba Wales dive school.

*Please note* Scuba diving is a dangerous sport – this blog post is meant for information only regarding my choice of dive school. If you choose to participate in Scuba diving with Scuba Wales, or another dive school, you are doing so at your own risk.

All photos are my own, unless otherwise stated.

Aberavon Beach

Located in Port Talbot, Aberavon Beach is a stone’s throw away from my front door. When I moved back to Port Talbot a few years ago (after living in the valleys for a few years – never again!!), I wanted to move closer to the beach that I loved so much.

We can walk to it in about 10-15 minutes, depending what things we are juggling along the way (bags/bikes/scooters) etc.

There’s three miles of sandy beach, and two miles of that has a flat promenade. The prom is split into two sections, one side for walkers, and one for bikes. The route is part of the National Cycle Network, Sustrans Route 4. This is a route over 400 miles long, from London to Fishguard. You can view the route here.

It’s fantastic for young riders, as it is away from the road, which can help build confidence whilst riding. My oldest boy learnt to ride his bike here, firstly on the grassy area, then right along the prom. It’s great for go-karts/scooters/roller skates too!

Sidenote: Please please please – ALWAYS wear a helmet!!

The promenade is accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs and there is a ramp that leads you straight onto the sand. There are also plenty of benches along the whole route, to stop and have a rest, and just take in the view. On a clear day, as well as seeing Swansea Bay and the Mumbles Lighthouse, you can see all the way to Devon.

Dog’s are welcome to walk the prom, and enjoy the grassy area’s alongside.They are also allowed on the beach during the winter months, but not during the Summer (no dogs allowed on the beach between May-September).

There are a variety of places to eat right on the front, including a takeaway Fish and Chip shop, and a sit down restaurant – which also sells delicious ice cream!!

Across the road, there is also a Burger King, an Indian Restaurant that is open in the evenings, and a few local pubs.

As well as the beach itself, there are two children’s play parks, one for smaller children, and one for the older children, with the bigger and higher equipment. Next to the larger park, there is a ‘Pirates Cove’ Mini Golf course – this is only open during the summer season, and times vary. There is also a skate park.

 

The bigger of the two parks. It’s even great when it’s been raining!

The smaller of the two parks.

One of the busiest sections of the beach in the summer months is the Splash Park. This is a smaller area, on the Prom, that is suited for younger children. There is a little pool of water, and some water jets and sprays that are in the pool. **This area does get extremely busy in warm weather.** There is a little shop there that sells ice cream, and  buckets and spades. We have only been in here once, when the boys were smaller, as we prefer the sand, as it gives the boys more choice of what to do. We usually end up burying their Dad in the sand 🙂

There are toilets available at the beach, however, I personally think there could be more along the way. It’s a long way from one end of the beach to the other, especially with younger children, who usually don’t give you much notice when they need a wee!

There is parking available at the beach. There are limited free spaces along the front of the promenade, the whole length of the beach – (these are 2hours only, and no return within 4 hours) – and these are rarely full in the colder months. However, for the busier summer months, there is a car park opposite, which is open, and it costs £2 to park, all day! I would advice arriving early though, as in really good weather, even the car park is full to capacity!

The beach is watched over by the RNLI, they watch from the Lifeboat Station – and ensure safety on the beach. The area’s are clearly marked where it is safe to swim and where it is not. They also help ensure the safety of any surfers, and users of jetski’s, that visit the beach often. You can visit their website here to find out more information, and view details of tide times and weather conditions.

Overall, whether it’s a day at the beach in hot weather, or a play in the park in the cold, wind and rain, we love coming here and make sure we visit at least once a week. Here is a selection of photos from some of our visits (some of these are taken on my phone rather than a camera, so the quality isn’t as good!).

 

Have you visited the beach or area? Do you live locally? I’d love to hear your thoughts on Aberavon Beach! Please feel free to use the comments section below 🙂

Afan Forest Park

Afan Forest Park is one of my favourite places to visit, both with and without the boys. I often find myself walking here with my walking buddy Bobbi in the mornings, once the boys have gone to school (when I’m not in university of course). It is such a vast area, that it is usually quiet, so I feel more comfortable leaving her off the lead here. She can be very nervous in busy places, so this certainly gives us more freedom.

It’s such a peaceful place, and there are a variety of walks available. There are 14 trails marked within the Park, making it a top tourist walking destination.

The routes start from various points within the valley – and we’ve been to all of them. We’ve still not yet completed all the walks though (some are up to 10 miles long, which is a bit too far for the little ones at the moment), but it’s on our list!

There is a information available about the Forest park available on their website. It includes details of the walks available.

And also, there are route maps and guides available to download from the Glyncorrwg Ponds website here.

Some Polaroids of our visit to the Ponds area. My first outing with my Polaroid camera. 

Please note: All walks may not be suitable for all. There are parts of the walks that include some strenuous uphill and downhill sections. The ground is also rough underfoot. I highly recommend that you wear appropriate clothing and footwear. 

There is parking available in the visitor centers, charged at £1 for all day parking, and it is metered, so you will need change. Depending where your starting point, some places do have free parking (Rhyslyn car park is currently free – but there are no toilets here) – so some find it better to park in the Visitor Centre Car Park, where there are toilet facilities available. Five of the walking routes also start from here – so if you have £1 – this is where I recommend parking.

There is also a Miners Museum situated in the Visitors Centre site, but we are yet to visit this, as the boys are too excited and want to head straight out into the forest – but it’s definitely something for our to do list.

Afan Forest is also renowned for it’s mountain biking trails within the forestry. I personally can’t give an insight on these as I am certainly not a mountain bike lover (sorry hubby!), but my Husband is always riding various trails there, and loves it. There is more information on the biking trails on the website too.

The boys love both walking, and riding their bikes here. Although there are more strenuous trails for competent riders, there are plenty of flatter routes that the boys can ride along (and fall over on) without hurting themselves too much. They also like visiting the small skills park within the forest – which is a little area to practice riding over mounds, and for the braver, practising jumps.

Side note: Please please please, ALWAYS wear a helmet!!

You can honestly spend a full day here wandering and exploring the beautiful forestry and views. There are plenty of benches and rest spots along the way – and it’s another place we like to go prepared with a picnic or plenty of snacks and water when we visit. Pack your walking boots and a camera! Here are a selection of our photo’s from our more recent visits.

 

Have you visited Afan Forest Park? What was your experience? I’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to write in the comments 🙂

Margam Park

As a family, we love going to Margam Park. It’s about ten minutes away from home in the car, and always a firm favourite (hence the silly faces!)

There is no charge to enter the park, but car park charges do apply.

As we live locally, we take advantage of the ‘Residents Parking Permit’ – which was £23 last year. This allows us unlimited parking and entry into the Park (except when they have special events on, usually on Bank Holidays). For us, this is a great saving. Normally the car park costs £5.40 for cars  – so use the ticket more than five times in a whole year (starting 1st March) and you’ve already made a saving. This is easily done by us, as we love attending, even through the winter months. Permits are available for Non-Residents of Neath Port Talbot too, at a slighty higher price, but still a huge saving if you plan on visiting a lot.

The park is open all year round – but please check their website for opening times, as these do vary throughout the seasons, and dependent if they have any events scheduled. The website can be viewed here.

The park is set in 850 acres of land, and is full of things to do and see.

A prominent feature of the park is the 19th Century Tudor Gothic Castle, that is Grade 1 listed. Lots of activities still take place in the Castle, and they often use it as a pop up art gallery.  They even had the ‘EPIC’ sign in the park last year (I’ve included a photo).

There is also Margam Orangery, which is another beautiful building. This can be hired as a wedding venue, as well as for conferences and events.

For the children, where to start?!

Down the lower end of the park, near the Orangery, there is a Fairytale village. This consists of a series of houses, themed to different Disney stories. There is also a big castle of their own that they can conquer, and two play parks. They are spoilt for choice.

Further on in the park, there are two ponds where you can feed the ducks. The larger pond is also used for activities such as stand up paddle boarding and kayaking in the summer months. (These events are chargeable and need to be booked in advance).

Just past the Castle, there is another Adventure Park, complete with big wooden structures. This is my boys favourite area. They love the variety that the park offers – and on windy days, it’s relatively empty, and they’ve even had the entire play park to themselves! (p.s – even suitable for big kid hubbys!!)

There is a train that operates in the park during the summer months, and takes you on a from the lower part of the park (near the entrance) up to the Castle.

There is also a Farm Trail within the park grounds that you can see, with animals such as donkeys, pigs, chickens, and sheep.

There are toilets located in different areas of the park, and are all accessible. Near the Castle there is also a gift shop, and a shop where you can buy snacks and ice cream if you want a little pit stop. We have only ever had snacks here once, as we usually take a picnic if we are heading out for the day, or take our own drinks and snacks if heading out for an hour or two. There are benches dotted all over the park, and vast areas of grass, so in the drier months we like to take a blanket and bask in the sun on the grass whilst enjoying our lunch.

There is so much to discover in the park and the surrounding area’s – we’ve still not completed all the walks that take you out of the park and into the surrounding fields. The boys even simply love climbing the trees and following the path that has ‘giant mushrooms’ and instruments made out of wood. The photo’s I’ve included are a mix of images taken over various visits to the park. No doubt I’ll have more to add again soon 🙂

We also love that the park is pushchair and wheelchair friendly within the grounds, and that dogs are also allowed. We love taking our little beauty Bobbi with us on our walks – but she does get a bit disappointed that she can’t join the boys in the play parks!

Please Note: Please refer to the Park’s website for accurate opening times and car parking charges, as these may change. Price’s correct at time of writing.

Here you can follow a link to view or download a Park Map; margam_park_visitors_map_2016

Have you been to Margam Park? If so, what did you think? Feel free to leave your comments 🙂

Gnoll Park

Bank Holiday Monday, it’s notoriously busy everywhere you go. For this reason we decided to stay local today and visit a favourite spot of ours, Gnoll Country Park. At only £2 to park all day, it’s fantastic! 

Today was scheduled to be a ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ event and there were some free activities children could do, including free donkey rides. 

My boys weren’t interested in this aspect of the day, but were pleased to see that there were fairground rides at the park today in addition to them being able to play in the parks there. 

The rides were £1 per child, per ride, payable through tokens that you could purchase on the grounds. 

I didn’t mind paying for a few rides each, but they knew they were limited as we’d come mainly to enjoy the outdoors and the walking around the grounds. 

There is so much to see in the grounds, that although we’ve been many times we still discover new things during our visits.

Here are some images of the castle remains within the grounds. 

The boys love walking over the low walls here and also looking into the entrances to old cellars. 

Possibly the most well known area of the park is the lake. It starts near the visitors centre and there is a path that comes full circle. It’s a wide path and accessible for all. There are also ducks you can feed in the lake (you can buy food for 50p in the visitor centre), but this is usually better in the winter from experience, when there are less visitors in the park. 

We love doing this simple route when time is limited as its quick and easy to follow. It’s also great for bike rides for little ones! (I’ll dig out the photos). 

The boys also love the fact that you can climb the trees here so we always have the obligatory tree photos…

After our walk we headed off for a little play in the bigger of the two playground areas, because they are ‘big boys’ of course! 

It was quite overcast today, so rather than taking a picnic and spending the day, we headed home for a very late lunch.

I would highly recommend taking a picnic and making use of the full day there. There are benches and tables dotted around the park and loads of open green spaces to sit, eat and play games on the grass. We were just a bit disorganised for that today. 

Overall, a lovely day out and we’ll no doubt return during the summer. 

For more information about the Park, please see their website here.

Please feel free to comment or get in touch via the contact page for more information.

Thanks, Lis x