Hero Kevin, free range Jemima

"Wild weather wreaked havoc over the weekend" shouted the newspapers - parts of New Zealand saw gusts of 160km/h; streets in Wellington were closed because of glass falling off buildings; and a car was blown off the road. Thankfully, therefore, this weather was abnormal, and likely to change; and also, thankfully, we woke up in Ohakune safe and sound - although it was still raining. A supermarket stop, and we started driving down the mountain.

The temperature was slowly increasing, although it was still raining, when we passed young man fiddling with his bike by the side of the road. Shortly after, we were finishing our lunch in a lay by with a view (I love motorhoming) when he appeared over the horizon, pushing his bike - broken beyond repair. So Kevin was a Good Samaritan and got him and it - and much mud - on board. It turned out he (Justin) was a young twenty-something American, cycling around NZ alone for a few months (!), was going to our destination, Whanganui, too. So we took him there, he, Jemima and I chatting cheerfully on the way. We waved goodbye at his friend's house and found our way to our next campsite, another Top10, with the weather now finally clear (at least warm, and not raining).

These campsites have all been clean and friendly, with great kids facilities, and this was no exception. We were checked in by Jack from Twickenham (!), and Jemima headed straight for the bouncy pillow while I did some washing and Kevin made spag bol for dinner. She started fairly unsuccessfully, chasing after a little German girl saying, "hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" to no response - and even repeating my few words of German didn't help. But other children turned up and soon there was a little gang of them bouncing and climbing on the playground - all slightly grubby and wild of hair, and all barefoot, Jemima included (we've commented to her how all the NZ children never wear shoes and have tough feet, and she now says, "I have tough feet too").  

Kevin had a good idea to move the motorhome from the pretty river view site to one right in the centre, with a view of the bouncy pillow, so we were able to do our own thing while she marauded around with the other children - it's the most independent she's ever been, but it's possible here because it's all so small and enclosed that we can see her without being involved. She loved it (and so did we...).

A delicious Kevin spag bol (AND he did the washing up), then a DVD for him and I once Jemima had gone to bed; and a decision to stay put tomorrow as - fingers crossed - the weather is supposed to be better, and we don't want to spend our one sunny day driving. So the pace feels familiarly once more like our European trips, which is lovely. All we need now is the expected NZ summer sunshine.

 

Driving through the rain:

 

 

 

The Whanganui River:

 

Site with a view (for about ten minutes):

 

Playing!:

 

 

The gang on the pillow (in the sunshine!):

 

Ohakune to Whanganui River:

 

Raining in the redwoods

For about ten minutes this morning, I went off New Zealand. It's summer, and it was raining. Hard. We didn't need to travel to the other side of the world for that; we could have stayed at home. So we went for breakfast with a view of the lake - at least that was indoors. By the time that was finished, the sky had cleared a little - and the Redwood Treetop Walk was calling...

Over half a kilometre of wooden walkways slung between the massive redwoods, up to 12 metres above the fern-covered forest floor - it was great. Jemima has clearly not inherited my fear of heights - she was soon scampering ahead, not even holding on (whereas I was, and refusing to look down - she and Kevin took it in turns to wobble the walkways when I was walking across, which I found ever so funny...). But I could look around from the various platforms, and it was magical - and completely impossible to represent in a photo, because the beauty came from being immersed in the greenery, with the wet dank woody smell and the birdsong. Definitely worth a stop, even in the occasional drizzle. 

After the success of the treetops, we decided to enjoy ground level too, and embarked on a half hour circular walk, this time at fern level, and dwarfed by the massive trees. As we walked, Kevin and Jemima played pirate sword fighting with sticks (she is going through an enthusiasm for sticks), which helped keep her going round. Invigorated by it all, and watered by the odd rain shower, we waved goodbye to Rotorua, and set off for our next nature fix down the brilliantly-named Thermal Highway: the Tongariro National Park. 

This is the setting for Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings, and it certainly felt a bit like it as we got closer. The weather worsened, with rain lashing down, and wind worryingly rocking the van; Lake Taupo's waters were whipped into choppy waves as we drove along its shores, and there were trees and branches down everywhere. The bad weather continued as we drove into the Park, but the landscape through the rainy windows changed as passed through it: from pine forests to swamp; then scrub peppered with pampas grass explosions to hillocky grassy farmland with cows and our first sightings of New Zealand sheep, freshly sheared; and high gorges with river rapids tumbling below. (The three volcanoes in the park, where Frodo throws away the ring, are a day's hike, the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing - not possible with Jemima, and not recommended in this weather). And then finally, cold (it was 9 degrees!) and damp, we arrived at our campsite.

Chosen for its pretty woodland setting, with a mountain stream running through it, we ignored all of that while we got the heater running and made tea (Jemima had been stolen by the children of the camp managers, and was later found watching My Little Pony and trying to roller skate with Emma, aged 4, and Hannah, aged 6.) Then, as the torrential rain eased to a drizzle, we walked the five minutes into town for dinner.

Ohakune is a ski town in the winter, and the lovely Italian we found had its fire burning - not seasonal, but very welcome. Arancini, olives, feta with pesto, and pizza bread with cheese to start, all delicious, then three amazing steaks (a bit boring given it was an Italian, but we'd been talking about steaks when we'd seen the cows earlier, and we were all hankering), and a phenomenal chocolate cake to share. One of the best Italians ever, in a tiny out of season town. Strange but true.

The rain returned for our walk home, so I got Jemima on my back in the sling to speed things up. She loved it, and actually it helped keep me warm. Home, heater back on, two duvets each, we hunkered down and hoped for better weather tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Light installations hanging in the trees:

 

The coats and jumpers are back...:

 

The walkways are held up without any screws or nails, to avoid damaging the trees:

 

Jemima gleefully trying to "jog Mummy":

 

Ground level:

 

 

An amazingly clear icy blue mineral pool:

 

 

Jemima delighted with her biggest ever stick:

 

Ahaaargh!:

A silver fern: 

 

Dinner:

 

The walk home:

 

Rotorua to Ohakune: