It’s been so long since we’ve loaded anything that I’m now making up for it by inundating you with huge amounts of pics from our wonderful holiday around the very top of gorgeous NZ!

After a lovely Christmas with the boys which was as exciting as humanly possible when you’re 6 ½ we headed off on Boxing Day for our exciting adventure…….we made our way slowly up the country as you will see.

Wanganui (or Whanganui as it is now to be called!) 195kms from Wellington


Highlight had to be the best kid playground we have ever seen – it’s amazing, made of solid concrete and been around forever they tell us.

We went through the tunnel and up the lift to the water tower to look over the city.










Playground……

Rating for campground (as voted by Tom and Jack) 7 out of 10 (10 out of 10 for the play ground).







New Plymouth 355kms from Wellington

Highlight was the Tawhiti museum on the road to New Plymouth - great museum and gorgeous little logging train.

Lowlight was a huge storm with 160km winds and a campsite right on the beach to catch it all. We spent the night in Peggy (our tent) huddled together hoping the tent wouldn’t blow away…it didn’t but a lot of other people’s did we found out the next morning! The next day we also managed to loose the pod and roof rack from our car to the wind luckily before we left the campsite.

Highlight was the lovely man who was not only open, but spent hours fitting our new pod and roof rack for us, it ‘aint going now-where now!

Campsite rating 5 out of 10.

Hamilton 532kms from Wellington

Highlight was staying in a motel for the night with a lovely swimming pool and bliss -a washing machine….luxury!


Goat Island 721kms from Wellington

Highlight was the awesome campsite which we all loved, very chilled out, rough round the edges and a lovely kiwi feel about it. The gorgeous beach and Adrian getting to do some snorkelling and being followed by schools of snapper.


Campsite rating 8 out of 10.




















Kerikeri 894kms from Wellington

Highlight was taking the ferry across to Russell the oldest town in NZ it was beautiful.

Adrian took the boys on a visit to Kororipo Pa.



















Kayaking with the boys before dinner on New Year’s eve.










The Duke of Marlborough – the oldest licenced pub in NZ.


Campsite rating 9 out of 10.





Whatuwhiwhi 978kms from Wellington

Highlight was the gorgeous beach with the most beautiful warm water.

Lowlight was that I mucked up the booking so our campsite was miles from anywhere but the boys didn’t seem to mind except when the possums were fighting outside the tent all night over the chilli bin – very loud when they want to be!



Campsite rating 7 out of 10.

Cape Reinga 1094kms from Wellington

Absolutely gorgeous all highlight, we walked out to the edge of the country and looked at the meeting of the Pacific and the Tasman, it was majic and something we’ll always remember.

Tasman Sea to the left

Pacific Ocean to the right











The meeting point.






Surfing and tobogganing down the giant sand dunes of Te Paki – they really are giant when you see them in real life!






And of course driving along 90 mile beach……….. it was way cool!





Kauri Coast (Kaihu) 838kms from Wellington and heading back down country again.

Highlight the drive down seeing Tane Mahuta (the oldest approx 2000 and biggest tree in NZ) it’s much more impressive in real life truly.

Lowlight – Jack coming off one of the quad bikes, he bounced back though!

The famous Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa.





Tane Mahuta



















Every morning and evening all the children lined up for a ride on the quad bikes. Needless to say the boys loved it and lined up for hours!







The river was warm and lovely and we did lots of swimming and floating in it…..when we fed the enormous eels that evening I was put off a bit though!






Adrian and a fire hose a scary combination!



The Kaihu Tavern – we’d definitely recommend it, tiny with great food and lovely people.






Campsite rating 10 out of 10 – well those quad bikes were cool.

Auckland 658kms from Wellington

Highlight was staying with the lovely Ware family and being so wonderfully looked after, Nicky your bed is the most comfortable ever and it was great to catch up with you all.

Curry with the Wares…..yum!


Rothesay Bay Beach









Fireworks at the Wares









Post Script……….

After the boys and I flew home Adrian had a wonderful week to spend on his own fishing in the Coromandel. He took his little tent stretch and had a great few days even managing to sweat talk his way onto someone’s boat for a day.

Unfortunately on day 5 of his week the car decided to breakdown in the middle of nowhere and he had to be towed to Whitianga where he was stuck for two days before flying home. The car is slowly making it’s way home to Wellington on a tow truck as I write this……..grrrrr