Author: [email protected]

Ruatiti Domain, Freedom Camping

We’d only camped at holiday parks or on friends’ lawns before and with the promise of a river filled with trout just ready for catching, we decided to give this domain a try. What we liked: We could build a fire and toast marshmallows in a designated fire pit. The river, while very cold, was… Read more »

SH1 Picton to Christchurch

If you’ve just left a ferry and are heading south, think about taking some stops on your journey. If you’re heading north to catch a ferry, make sure you leave enough time to stop en route and/or have stretch your legs in Picton before you board. Picton foreshore, Auckland Street If you need to have… Read more »

Heading North from Auckland to Whangarei and beyond (SH1)

If you get stuck in traffic getting out of Auckland or you’ve started your journey further south, you might need to stop early on in your journey. Straight over the bridge at Takapuna, there’s a great, albeit small playground right next to the beach on The Strand. Parking at the weekends, especially if it’s sunny,… Read more »

Holdsworth Lodge, Tararua Range, near Masterton

We wanted the chance to explore the Tararua Range when the weather was typically spring like and  unpredictable! It was too far to just go for the day and we love the peace and quiet of staying in a rural hut overnight. What we liked: the hut is at the road end so we could… Read more »

Tologa Bay Holiday Park, near Gisborne

I’d heard good things about this campground and with a few nights in the area with no plans, we decided to give it a try. As it was New Year’s Day, there was no issue with getting a camping spot. If we’d wanted to go over Christmas, I know we’d have needed to book months… Read more »

Papatahi Hut, Remutaka Forest Park

While our family do lots of bush walking this would be our first time staying in a hut. We chose this area as it was easily accessible to us (about an hour’s drive from Wellington), flat-ish walking and bookable huts that are sole occupancy. We went with another family and had a ball. The kids… Read more »

Family Passes (x3) to Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Upper Hutt

Win a free family pass to Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Upper Hutt (2 adults & 3 kids). There are 3 family passes up for grabs. It’s the perfect time to visit Staglands Wildlife Reserve with baby lambs, kune kune, calves and kid goats amongst other animals to see and interact with. Staglands is open all weekend… Read more »

Paekakariki Holiday Ground

With fine weather forecast for an early Easter, and the camping gear having not seen the light of day all summer, we decided to check out the Paekakariki Holiday Ground for 2 nights over the long weekend. This is what we thought: What we liked: For us it was close to home – around 30… Read more »

An Itinerary for YOU

I love New Zealand and I love travelling around it with my family but the planning stage can be very time consuming. Let me help you by creating an itinerary that’s just for YOU and YOUR family. Whether it’s a long weekend or a couple of months, if you’re taking the kids, I know all… Read more »

Top Tips for tramping with kids (including overnight tramps)

Whether you’re living in or visiting New Zealand, it’s only when you get into the great outdoors that you really appreciate what a truly beautiful country this is. Not only is going for a walk free and great exercise, spending time outside can also bring families closer together (think; no screen time = conversations!) You might… Read more »