Camping in the Rain

Each year when school finishes our family likes to take a holiday. We find it helps to destress and reconnect with one another before the Christmas craziness really gets going. Last year we explored Rotorua and absolutely loved it! This year we weren’t sure whether it would happen at all, but we took a risk and booked a few days to camp at one of the Auckland Regional Parks.

Weather woes

Thankfully our risk paid off and the camp grounds reopened in time for our trip! What didn’t quite fit with our plan was the weather however. Unsurprisingly we almost had the place to ourselves for the first 3 or so days, which we spent running from shelter to shelter trying to avoid the rain (which was a result of Cyclone Ruby) and attempting to mop up leaks. We had an abundance of towels and mostly managed to keep ourselves and our gear dry. We only had one (cheap) gazebo fly away in the middle of the windiest night, and the next day discovered it upside down with some poles looking pretty bent – nothing a bit of duct tape couldn’t (temporarily) fix! Thankfully our tents survived with seemingly little damage, apart from a few missing pegs that mysteriously vanished into the long grass.

I suppose it was a bit of an adventure really – I know the kids preferred weathering the storm to packing up and going home! It was a bit miserable being stuck inside, but it certainly meant we spent a lot of time together and enjoyed a lot of reading. It’s amazing how just a few toys can occupy little kids for long periods. Our 5 year old’s favourite pastime was playing with a couple of barbies on some kiddie sized camping chairs, and our 2 year old kept herself busy with a couple of other toys and perusing books -many of which are now looking a little worse for wear unfortunately.

Camping fun

The last few days were much calmer, with only the odd shower or two. During those days we managed a couple of beach trips, several walks and the kids spent most of their spare time up an old Pohutukawa tree. One thing camping does is force you to spend a lot of time on small housekeeping type matters – which to be honest provided a nice distraction from all the other background life stresses! Plus the limited screen time due to low phone batteries was great for our mental health.

While camping does require a fair bit of prep and packing, it was lovely to get away and have a break from normal life. Our trip was devoid of work-related phone calls and mostly free from discussions relating to work and homeschooling – definitely a win. Taking a break at that point in time feels like it resets everything a bit going into the holiday period – it’s a tradition I hope we can continue for many years to come. Now it’s time to get on with wrapping up the Christmas presents!