MOST were just glad there was something for their kids to do on Australia Day.

My Daily News met Stacy, Katrina and Niilo Rahko, 3, during the morning at Jack Evans Boat Harbour.

Mad Sports had turned on the water works and kids were slip 'n' sliding faster than you could say "lamington".

Mr Rahko said he was not disappointed that the weather disrupted many events.

"2011 was worse - I was working and didn't get the chance to do any of this," he said.

"We've just brought the kids down for Mad Sports and then we'll head into Coolangatta."

Friend Nicole Hawkless and her daughter Jade, 5, were joining the Rahkos for the day.

"We wanted to head down to the beach, but the surf is messy and there's debris everywhere," she said.

"We might still go down there and have a bit of a play."

Tweed's Australia Day ambassador Benita Collings, of ABC Play School fame, was in attendance at the only main event not cancelled.

"It's such a shame that things had to be cancelled, but I totally understand why," Ms Collings said.

"Australia's about freedom of speech, about freedom of worship, and we're doing a lot better than the rest of the world.

"Whenever I come home it's like 'ah - yes I'm home'."

She is staying at Twin Towns and said to look out over the harbour was "just gorgeous".

Terranora's Jenny Koopman and her daughter Claire, 11, enjoyed Jack Evans' "really good" activities in 2011.

"It's a little more subdued this year, but there's still a lot of kids here and its great to see the council put things on for the kids to celebrate," Ms Koopman said.

She and Claire experienced no problems as a result of wet weather earlier in the week except for "a bit of run-off".

"And all the drains are pretty full," Claire said.

Vanessa Spargo, Oscar, 5, and Ginger, 2, are from Melbourne and have been staying on the Tweed for five months.

Mrs Spargo's husband is working on the set of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

"Mad Sports was available, so we came over there, then we've got an Australia Day dinner, but not much," she said.

"It's my first time on the Tweed, and I love it.

"It's good to see so many things for kids - we were here for the Lantern Festival, which was good stuff for kids."

She said she loved the freedoms Australia offered.

"We've got so many opportunities here compared to other countries.

"I've travelled a fair bit but this is where home is - I think we're a pretty lucky country," Ms Spargo said.