Camping
I have camped many times in my life - in Yorkshire in February (it snowed) and in Yorkshire during a hurricane (spent the night in the toilet block after watching my tent float away), and two years ago in Taupo being the most memorable. So I should be used to it. And I know I often feel more relaxed after a couple of nights under canvas, I sleep better, and I start forgetting about computers and email and TV and it's all great. But I still can't shake the feeling that however often I go, I'd rather be in a five-star hotel. Anywhere. Even Bradford. And then the kids started asking, and asking, and begging and bargaining and suddenly I was in Kathmandu thinking that $500 for a kid's sleeping bag *must* be OK 'cos it's in the sale, and it's pink, and then we'd booked 5 nights at the Blue Lake campsite in Rotorua.
Monday arrived, and being responsible people we checked the weather forecast. Desert Road closed due to flooding. We rang the campsite, and they said everything was fine, but Mat detected a hint of hesitation in the woman's voice. We argued for a while, and then decided that the alternative route via Ohakune was too far so we'd go via Napier, with the option of stopping there if the journey was taking too long.
Rory threw up outside Palmerston North. We stopped, hosed her down (it was pissing it down, we just stood her on the pavement naked for a few minutes)*, unpacked the boot to find her some spare clothes, repacked the boot, took her clothes and Big Mousey to a nearby McDonalds to wash the vomit out (see - I do go into McDonald's sometimes!) and set off again.
We found a really nice motel in Napier for the night. It was much better than a tent.
Tuesday morning we drove to Rotorua, found the campsite, and put the tent up. A couple that were in one of the cabins nearby told us that our particular site had been completely flooded in the storms the previous night. I decided to look on the bright side - at least the ground was still soft enough that the tent pegs went in without a mallet, which was a good thing as we didn't have a mallet. We wandered down to the lakeside and threw Rory in to get rid of the last few bits of vomit. She didn't seem to mind.
Wednesday we went for a walk in the morning. The girls moaned at being forced to exercise, so we told them that if they didn't hurry up the trolls would get them, and yes, trolls *do* smell of sulphur, and yes, there are lots of them in Rotorua. In the afternoon we hired kayaks from the campsite office and went out on the lake - it's a stunningly beautiful lake and the girls loved being in the kayak with Mat while I followed in a smaller one. The week was beginning to look up. Except for the sunburn. I really should know better by now.
Thursday we spent the morning at the Polynesian Spa, taking it in turns to go to the adults only section. Wonderfully relaxing, and only a little bit stinky. Then we went to Skyline where we had a buffet lunch (Woo had gravy on rice. Rory had tomato sauce sandwiches. *sigh*) and then went down the luge a couple of times. Afterwards I asked Woo what she'd enjoyed most on holiday and she said "The luge! No, the canoes! No, the camping! The luge! The lions! No the luge! The luge was the most fun thing I've ever done!"
Thursday evening we went to Tamaki Maori Village for an evening of Maori culture. I was a bit unsure about it beforehand but it was very well run, though I think there were a couple of cruise ship parties there too so it was rather busy. Rory was terrified by the warriors at the start, but was soon clapping along happily during the song & dance performance, and even attempted to join in with her own haka. And the hangi was very impressive - a bit like the Co'ombe pig, but better. Sorry different_tan! To be fair they've had a lot more practice :-)
Friday I had an early start when Rory suddenly woke up at 5:30, sat bolt upright and yelled "Fairies!" at the top of her voice. She wouldn't go back to sleep, so I had to make do with several large coffees. After breakfast we took the kayaks out on the lake again, then went to see some lions. Rory was scared even though they didn't stick their tongues out or threaten her with spears, and when Woo went to stroke the cub she started crying out in panic for 'my Woowoo'. But all was OK, and none of us got eaten.
Friday evening it started to rain, so we checked the weather forecast, quickly booked an emergency motel in Taupo, took the tent down and packed in about six minutes, and left.
Good things about the week:
Rotorua - we hadn't been there before (though we'd been close at Wai-O-Tapu) and it was better than we expected. Lots to do, and the Blue Lake was beautiful.
The campsite - excellent facilities, friendly people, wonderful setting.
The quick stop in Napier - very nice motel that we found at short notice and got a discount on the room price.
All the things we did while we were in Rotorua.
Not minding that the kids didn't see a shower for days and wore the same filthy clothes every day.
Bad things about the week:
Rory's sleep patterns, which are bad enough at home, got much worse. She was obviously unsettled at being away and nothing we did seemed to help. I spent most nights with her head in my armpit and her arms locked around my waist.
Having the camping cut short by Cyclone Wilma. OK, I probably didn't mind that too much, but taking the tent down in the pissing rain is never much fun.
Mat getting a call from work on Wednesday. He's on holiday, dammit! Sort your own issues out!
*We didn't really. We left her nappy on.