The twins turned 12 this summer on the road, and, echoing the lament of kids with summer holiday birthdays heard around the world, they were sad not to have their friends available for a birthday party. We try to have fun trips planned for them on their birthday, but honestly, yes, even in this family, one can only have so many Disney birthdays (last year we did Disneyland Paris, for example).
Because we were in New Zealand, a day ahead of the US, they actually got two birthdays, New Zealand birthday and US birthday. For this birthday, we decided to do something one of the kids had long asked for — rent a motorhome and go “camping” / road-tripping. We rented the motorhome the day before their birthday and drove to a nice campground chain, the Top 10, which is basically New Zealand’s KOA.
We took a pleasant, though muddy, river walk/hike for their NZ birthday, headed toward the town of Whangarei.
We saw the largest flock of ducks just hanging around this river on the walk to Whangarei…with one little pigeon adopted by them among the flock. Can you spot it in the first picture?
I wonder how this pigeon ended up in a family of ducks. Our walk ended up in the “town basin” of Whangārei where we had a birthday meal by the water.
Two of us ordered fish and chips and the consensus was that it was among the best we have ever had, including various places in England! It’s easy to forget, given the lush forest vistas, that we actually are at the ocean here.
The next day, for the US birthday we went climbing in the treetop canopies. What amazing ropes courses and programs with zip lines and challenges.
We learned a new term – flying fox. Flying fox is what they call zip lines here. At first we thought it was just this Adventure Forest that called them that but then we saw them advertised in other places that way.
This locally owned Adventure Forest ropes company is a labor of love, and has been for sale for over a year. The owner is looking to retire, after having opened and run the business for 16 years.
It seems like the perfect dream job for a professional looking for an escape from the rat race who wants to leave it all behind and move to New Zealand.
After three hours at our exhausting ropes course, we went shopping for the girls to pick out their birthday presents.
Then, we had 4 birthday cakes (2 each for each birthday), and of course more presents.
Happy 12th Birthday Girls!