Nothing like a family roadtrip...

Me kayaking at sunrise, Rotorua

There’s nothing like hanging in an Auckland hotel with wireless internet. Ok, so its a fairly cupboard sized room, but I can pretend! I thought I’d seize the moment and upload some of the photos from the week… We’ve been having a wonderful Langdon family holiday, venturing all over the North Island in our big white beast of a car. After a weekend in Welly, we drove up to Hawkes Bay on the east coast, and had 2 nights at a beach cottage in Napier. The beach was right on our doorstep, and we had some incredible sunsets and sunrises.

Andrew watching the sunrise in Napier

Sunrise in Hawkes Bay

Ann and Andrew

On Napier beach

Sunrise

I had never been to Napier before, so it was great visiting somewhere new. There’s nothing like a little bit of family rivalry on the mini-golf course (yes Andrew, you did win), and there were some spectacular shots into the hedge, off the holes, and into the gravel. I perfected the latter. We also checked out the National Aquarium in time to see the sharks being fed, and Ann decided to make it her aim to pull a stunning pose in every photo from then on… in case you were wondering!

Langdon rivalry on the mini golf course

In Napier

After a bit of wine tasting on the way out of Napier, we headed over to Taupo for some lunch and checked out Craters of the Moon. We got to Rotorua in the early evening, and within a few minutes I was out on the lake making the most of our bach’s kayak! We stayed at FINNZ, our own house 10 paces from the still clear water edge. There were plenty of black swans and ducks to keep us company, and it was such a fantastic location. The whole first week of our trip we’ve had incredible weather, and we’ve been able to make the most of all that the North Island has offered us. We even got burnt in Napier! (being ginger can be hazardous even in the winter!)

Ann and me kayaking

So Rotorua was brilliant – loads of kayaking both early in the morning first thing and in the evenings, and not forgetting the outdoors spa bath either! I took my family to my favourite thermal park, Wai-o-tapu, and we saw all things geyser, lots of steaming rocks, and orange and blue crystal pools. I also showed off my advanced driving skills at Skyline Skyrides as I caned it down the luge at a million kmph, leaving the rest of them in my dust. The boys also had the need for more speed, so enjoyed a spin on the Hukajet, whilst the girls were instructed to record this exciting moment in history forever. Apparently we were meant to focus more on the boat, than their hilarious waterproof dresses they had to wear, and taking vital identification photos of them (such as the tops of their heads) in case we had to identify them bobbing along in the Waikato river.

Heading out kayaking in the morning

Mum at Waiotapu with an old geyser

Playing in Rotorua

Next up was a fun night in Pauanui with the fletchers, more kayaking (and unfortunate bonding with a concrete boat ramp after slipping on mud) and now we’re partying away in Dorkland. Just had an awesome time catching up with the Johnsons and hanging at St Paul’s tonight while the others were up the Sky Tower (or space needle as Andrew kept calling it), and we’ll check out the Museum. And back to Wellington on Wednesday… yay!