Of Camping

Going on camps was a childhood pleasure of mine. Then from 20-40ish I discovered hotels and marriage, and the most ‘roughing it on holiday' experienced from then on was on a launch. With the in-laws. *shudder*So it was with a mixture of youthful excitement and mature trepidation that I packed up what I thought was needed, added the kitchen sink, and then collected my kids for, a hopefully joyous, three days and two nights tenting.Our destination, Orere Point Top 10 Campground. The kids were hugely excited. This was to be their first time camping, their first time in a tent.The weather, as it has been all Summer, was hideous. On arrival I asked them if they wanted to wait for a pause in the rain before pitching the tent. Nope. They were all in.After the fastest ever, wettest ever, tent setup we went for an explore. This campsite was great. Lots of mini-playgrounds, games room, tv room (We didn’t actually spend any time in there!), an oversized chess set, and to the delight of A and C, a swimming hole in a river.Now they’d never swum in a river before. A took to it really well. There were moments where his technique looked like a cross between a drowning, splashing, tired person and a masonry block, but he survived and enjoyed himself thoroughly.C was a little more unsure, but she was absolutely determined that she would not be leaving until she’d got to the other side.It took her lying on her boogie-board, being towed by her brother, screaming in terror the entire way, to get there. But she did. I was hugely proud that she’d faced her fears and achieved what she wanted to.Of course, there was more screaming in terror to get back to the starting point and a moment of being inconsolable before she was able to smile about what she’d done.It really is a lovely spot though. Beautiful scenery. And ducks.We walked to, and explored the local beach. My kids are apparently on a mission to collect all the shells in the world. In fact, they want to also own a private beach, keep the shells there, and charge admission to people wanting to see shells. (she sells sea shells by the sea shore?).For meals, we cooked on a little gas stove I’d bought, eating together outside the tent.It was really fun getting into philosophical discussions. For A it was “If this world was Minecraft we’d be in Survival Mode. It would be awesome if it was Creative Mode ‘cos we’d have unlimited everything”. For C, it was “What if everything in this world was made out of tomatoes...”. So funny. I loved discovering what they were into. What they liked to do. To play with. What is current in their worlds.The next day we went for a drive down the coast. First we dropped in to Tapapakanga Regional Park. A lovely spot. More rocky coastline. More shells acquired.Further along the coast the kids were getting bored and twitchy. “Let’s go back” was heard from the back seat... then... around a corner and... a treasure island playground!!We’d arrived at Kaiaua. Time for me to relax and let the kids loose! You never know quite what’s coming up next now, do you??After a time, we continued south as I’d heard there was a place called the Miranda Shoreboard Centre.I managed to convince the kids that it was a good idea to walk 2kms along a path, through mangroves, over electric fences, in the hot sun, to a hide from where they could observe shorebirds.I loved the walk. The kids didn’t so much. In fact I had to carry C on my shoulders for a lot of the return trip...A highlight? Convincing A that it was a good idea to hold a blade of grass against an electric fence...Oh come on. It wasn’t mean!!! He actually enjoyed the experience! True! And it means he won’t be scared of them in the future...We then returned back to Orere Point, had some lunch, then as it was a gorgeous day when back to the swimming hole. A was a lot more confident and explored the entire place. C was quite content sitting on her board and paddling after the dramas of the previous day.After the swim we dried out, relaxed and then had an early dinner. Fish and Chips. The Kiwi standard. Actually, they were the worst I’ve ever eaten, but the kids enjoyed them.One last night then home. It was a short time away, but we packed a lot in those days. It was so important for me to get them out and away from Auckland. Just me and them. They loved it and so did I. I’m gradually getting more time with them. It’s a tricky process, but one worth persevering with. This one-on-one time with my children is precious.So, I’m home. Somewhat feral. But with very happy holiday feet.I will definitely do this again.- S