New Zealand 2 – Au Revoir 2014 Bonjour 2015

We say our Goodbyes to the Waller-Yates, and the lovely handsome three boys and head off from The Bay of Islands, via Keri Keri to a camp site cabin, in Opononi (for a fun morning of sand dune surfing) and then onwards to Tinopai, not somewhere we intended to go but that road looked beautiful and we were curious to see this little corner of coves and inlets. It is so freeing to have a car that we can’t resist the temptation to go off road a little. There’s no room at the Inn or the camp site but there happens to be a lovely little wooden house with sea views and a huge garden, AND a huge playground next door. where we can stay for 2 days. Bliss a house of our own. The children have just seen “The Croods” and spend the day playing Cavemen, naked, except for a towel toga tied over their shoulders. I test out my new running shoes with a run to the nearest sunny beach and Mark and the children meet me there for a late afternoon swim.

We head to Mount Manganui to see the old year out and the new year in with Toby and Heather, and their 3 children who are renting a house a few roads back from the most incredible beach. The children greet their old friends Zebedee, Loma and Thalia as though no time had passed and quickly run off to jump on the trampoline. New Year’s Day we nip to the beach for an early swim. Hello 2015! It’s been a good start.

We while away a few days here, spending mornings making sand castles (Toby) and sand crocodiles (Mark). Not competitively of course!  it’s a lovely and chilled few days,

I still can’t quite believe how quickly we have settled into this familiar way of life…. and the last 4 months are becoming distant memories… It’s a bit weird.

Heather offers to look after the children for a day, while Toby and Mark and I get up at 4 am, say goodbye to The Mount and drive the 3 1/2 hrs to walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a fabulous but exhausting 9hr walk. All beautifully organised, we park our car at the end of the walk at 7.30 am and hop on a bus to the start of the walk. It’s going to be a long day.

The walk crosses Ngauruhoe  the classically conical shaped volcano, otherwise known as Mount Doom of Lord of the Rings fame, the volcanically active mountain emanates steam from various knooks and crannies along the way and it has a real live feeling to it. It recently erupted in 2012. The scenery is striking. It feels good to leave the kids behind for the day, have lots of good conversations and have that wonderful, albeit slightly shattered feeling at the end of the day and sore stiff legs and feet. Heather! You ANGEL. Thank you for making this possible.

We drive to a backpackers lodge, and meet up with Heather who has had the children, all 6 of them for the day. I am not sure who is more exhausted – Heather or me? The children greet us with hugs and kisses, and I realise this is the first time we have been separated from them in the last 5 months. Escaping to do this walk has been worth it!

The lodge has a great ski lodge wooden cabin feel to it with lots of atmosphere and we settle into the backpackers kitchen end of it and cook supper in a communal kitchen. I am liking New Zealand. It caters for holiday makers of all kinds and budgets. Our cosy bunk bed room is perfect and we sleep well. As we pour cereals and milk into our bowls for breakfast the next morning, the French couple are having coffee, Oreos and Nutella, whilst the Asian looking woman is eating noodles and coriander out of the saucepan… Mmmm I think I am preferring the Asian option to my boring grains.