Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!
The last week of January, before the start of a new school year, we drove up from Wellington to the central region of the North Island for a week’s holiday. We’ve holidayed in this area many times over the years and never tire of the endless outdoor activities on offer in the most beautiful natural…
As a family, on holiday, we tend to have a day of all action, thrills and spills, followed by a quieter day of simple fun. Whenever I look back on holidays those simple activities, and smaller side-trips, are often what stay in the mind more than the action packed days. As a Mum it’s seeing…
Strictly speaking, we simply did the riding – not the driving – but I can assure you – it was WILD (erm, thanks – *I think* – to Jeremy, our guide). I didn’t really comprehend the adrenalin rush that the Huka Falls Jet Boat would give me, until I tried to stand up straight –…
After eight sleeps away on business, the man of the house is back! He was away in the UK and flew the long haul to LA, and on to Auckland, before the ‘hop’ down to Taupo to meet up with us on Sunday. Taupo Airport is a gorgeous place to hang out, especially in the…
We arrived in Taupo on day three of our holiday, after an energetic morning on the ski slopes, and as we drove up to the Anchorage we were filled with memories of our amazing January holiday with ‘Chicken’ Grandma and Grandad. They were in our thoughts every day and the wonderful memories made us feel…
We’re off on Monday for seven night’s driving round the middle of the North Island. First stop is the carrot capital of New Zealand,Ohakune, where we’ll spend two night’s just outside the town. The weather forecast for Mt Ruapehu isn’t looking wonderful for Tuesday, but there’s sun forecast for Wednesday. With a bit of luck…
From experiencing a simulation of the Edgecumbe Earthquake at the Volcanic Activity Centre … and watching the awesome power of water flooding through the Aratiatia Rapids… to learning how honey is made at ‘The Honey Hive’ and sampling locally farmed prawns at the Huka Prawn Park for lunch. Our holiday in Taupo was over a…
There are numerous ways to enjoy Lake Taupo. When the girls are older we’ll look forward to taking our own vessel out on the water; but in the meantime we enjoyed a sail on a yacht named ‘Barbary‘, once owned by Errol Flynn. It was an extremely peaceful way to enjoy the lake. The girls…
After an afternoon’s walk around ‘Crater’s of the Moon‘ we thought we’d fit in a visit to Huka Falls. The gates to the carpark close at 6pm and with 10-minutes to spare we raced to the viewpoint. On our way we spotted some adrenaline pumped kayakers and couldn’t believe our luck! Dan and Grandad promptly…
Our first day in Taupo was pretty special. The girls were so excited to see their Grandma and Grandad and gave beautiful, heart-warming, unprompted hugs. We spent a lovely morning at the delightfully quaint Lilliput Fun and Animal Park. It was here that Grandma and Grandad enjoyed a rare treat to experience a first for…
On the first night of my Taupo holiday I finally learnt how to roll onto my tummy. Daddy had taken Charli down to the bar, whilst Mummy tried to get me to sleep (but that was the furthest thing from my mind!).
I recently had to travel to Taupo for a work charity golf classic (yes, I know it’s a hard life). So I thought it would be a good idea to take a last break before the Christmas silly season and pile up of work swing into full gear.
What a great first holiday!
I went on holiday to learn about geysers and spent lots of time bouncing on the trampoline at our holiday home, walking through smoking fumaroles, past mud pools and exploring thermal wonders. I swam every day and loved the hot pools.