In Feb/March we took a month-long trip to New Zealand, the first in three years for the kids and I.
I have to admit we were not looking forward to flying all this way with the kids, especially the trip there, which was direct. But the kids were fantastic - loving the opportunity for unlimited movies and Ipad, plus the continuous flow of unhealthy snacks on offer. It was pretty exhausting but it was as good as it could have been!
We arrived in Auckland late at night, stayed at an airport hotel and took off in the morning for Nelson. The kids loved being by the beach and close to parks and fun holiday activities. The bumper boats were Flynn's dream-come-true!
C`mon Benge, let`s get him!
Arghhhhhh!
Some park-fun with Grandad Jim
Followed by icecream and jelly. But the kids discover they don't like jelly!
Crazed-sugar-rush face
We had a great time at Dean and Emma`s wedding, where Blake was best man
We couldn't get enough of the beach, day or night - its actually been years since we were at one!
Hello Great Grandman Shirl!
We got to see lots of Grandma Julia, Uncle Olly, Auntie Rosie and Sid. The kids loved having so much family around.
Smugglers Restaurant was a massive hit with all
These lurid drinks won Flynn`s heart
Another crazed-sugar rush on the way
Lots of cafe time and this old favourite (Suter) has something for everyone
But the beach can`t be beat when you`re a kid
Of course the beach experience is not the same without a fort of some kind being constructed
And the obligatory Mr Whippy at close-of-day
We stayed at the same house we usually do. It`s in need of a bit of a spruce up but it's a great spot for a holiday house and perfect for bbqs and drinks.
It was good to catch up with Uncle Dave and Bev
We did the tourist thing and visited Founders historic park, which the kids absolutely loved!
Where's the movie screen mum?
This is such a cool attraction, i am sad to hear it struggles financially- it would be a great shame if it closed
The boys could hardly believe you`re allowed to get inside everything
It was great spending time with Grandad Peter and Nana Anna too
Course we had to visit The Boathouse, site of our wedding. It was pretty damn cold in the wind, but the excitement of seeing huge boats made it worthwhile
Then off to Wellington where Nana Ann had prepared goodies, to Flynn's massive delight
It was great that Auntie Lisa spent lots of time in Waikanae with us!
Again our days were full of fun, family, cafes, beach and parks
One evening we had an incredible surprise as we walked down the beach - a seal sunning himself at sunset. He allowed us very close and stayed a long time - in fact only leaving when someone allowed their rowdy dog to come close
Fort-time again. This beach is huge and the kids were delighted that our fort lasted for the entire visit, apparently only succumbing to the tide on the day we left.
We had a fun time paddling one evening...
It was hilarious though when Benjy decided to speed right out to sea (fully clothed) and Lisa had to go rescue him (fully clothed). We got a great video of it, Lisa and Benjy were soaked!
We had a nice time catching up with Grandad Pat
And Auntie Lisa kept the boys entertained with plenty of toilet-talk
We visited a bird sanctuary where they had this cool Iguana, who we were even allowed to touch
We went on a forest walk and took lots of drugs
It was awesome!
The kids adore their big cousin Jordan and he always makes time to fool around with them
Big cuddle for his big cousin
Little nap at the playground
Then home for a few hours' of wrestling
Some duck chasing
And of course a fight with toi toi
Of great interest was a dead rat that Benjy spotted
Then all too quickly, it was time to head to Auckland
Love the Lord of the Rings figures at the airport!
We rented a house and invited everyone over for a bbq. It was great to catch up with Uncle Sam, Auntie Rach and the kids, plus all our friends
The kids just ran wild while we all caught up
The boys were overjoyed when their "baby lizards" from Auntie Lisa hatched from their eggs
We caught up with Brad and Kylie at Kohi beach, where we used to live
FAME! I`m gonna live forever!
Then, in a blink, it was time to go home - this time stopping over in Singapore to break up the journey and take a trip down memory lane
The lizzies were pretty excited about their first plane trip
So were the boys, who have decided they love going on planes now
A mere 12-ish hours later and we were in Singapore. The time-zone difference meant that we went straight to bed when we arrived and then woke at 3am, ready to take on the world. It was tricky trying to keep the kids quiet when we hit the playground at 5am!
The lizzies loved the pools
So did the kids!
Uh oh, a shark!
HELP MUM!
ARGHHHHHHH!
We stayed at Fraser Suites in Robertson Quay - our old stomping ground. It was really good to be back there, revisiting all our favourite places and catching up with good friends
Flynn didn't remember visiting the fire station, as we regularly did when we lived there. But they both loved it anew.
The boys were keen for a boat trip and we were really glad we took one. Such a nice way to see the city.
A bit of over-exposure can make a cool photo
We found this sweet creature on board
We visited a massive new park in Singapore - never seen anything like it. Has many different styles of garden, playground/obstacle course areas, restaurants, art exhibitions and sculptures, plus an amazing (and free) waterpark.
The day we visited it was intensely hot and we were feeling overcome with the heat, but this life-saving waterpark soon saw the boys overcome with joy.
Undie-fun - who needs togs?
We caught up with all our good friends from the Singapore days.
More water-based fun at the American Club
Emer and Bev
It was a hell of a trip, an enormous amount of travelling and moving around. But we had a great time and loved seeing all the family and friends. We did so many fun and interesting things and the boys have wonderful memories that they are now old enough to retain.
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