Children's books hidden at parks across the Highlands

Karen Murray hopes the treasure hunt will inspire local kids to read a book in the sun, and take pleasure from "the simple things".

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"It's being done in Yass, and when I came across the idea I thought it would be really lovely to have it here, in the Southern Highlands," Ms Murray said.

She's hidden about 20 books at Glebe Park and Seymour Park and has plans to deliver more to some of the smaller villages in coming weeks.

However because the Highlands is famous for its inclement weather, Ms Murray quickly found she needed a way to protect her treasure.

"They are are contained in freezer bags for protection, and I'm ironing out some of the other things that are surfacing," she said.

At the front of the book is a page where children can add their first name; the date; and the path on which they found it.

"Just if they want to, and so that other children can look and see who has read it," Ms Murray said.

"On the next page is a little poster that says: 'Congratulations, you're the lucky finder of this book' and letting them know that it's part of the Hidden Books in the Southern Highlands and once they've read it, if they would like to re-hide it they're welcome."

Ms Murray plans to refresh the books over time, to give the children something new to read, when they next return.

One local resident said her daughter loved the books so much that she didn't want to part with them.

"I said she could keep it, because I would rather that it be enjoyed by a child then thrown away," Ms Murray said.

The treasure hunt is aimed at children aged three to nine years.

Ms Murray said she hoped families would "throw a picnic blanket on the ground" and enjoy some time reading together in the sunshine.

"That's the image I've got in my head," she said.

"Some people have reported back that they're taking the books home with them, and then bringing them back to hide. However, most people are reading them in the park, which is lovely."

Ms Murray, who works as a children's counsellor, said she was motivated to help instill healthy habits in kids.

"The most important one is getting out into the fresh air and enjoying the outdoors; getting some fun and excitement out of it; finding an enjoyment for literacy and reading," she said.

"It's great to involve the family - mothers and fathers can join in the search, and then they get the fun of also re-hiding the book."

These days, not enough people take the time to enjoy the simple things in life, like reading a book in the sunshine, according to Ms Murray.

Her goal is to help people return to the "old fashioned and simple things" like being outdoors and reading.

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