And just like that, it was time to hand back our beloved motorhome, also known as The Box We Lived In For Six Weeks. Honestly, those weeks went by fast. I’m also happy to report that Joey survived the experience. Barely, but he made it. I won’t lie that things got a little tight and cramped at times and that Joey is thrilled to never have to empty a toilet full of our family’s… contributions… ever again. Was it cramped? Yes. Did we occasionally dream of personal space? Also yes. Did the motorhome give us the freedom we needed with the kids? Absolutely. We could fit in schoolwork, make lunch whenever, and most importantly, always have immediate access to a toilet. That alone is worth its weight in gold when travelling with kids.
Christchurch
We spent our last few days in Christchurch doing what all families do at the end of a long road trip: laundry. Mountains of laundry. A frankly disrespectful amount of laundry. Between loads we relaxed and wandered around town. Christchurch is genuinely lovely. It has been rebuilt a lot since the earthquakes less than 15 years ago and it feels bright and alive. The kids found a HUGE playground, absolutely massive, and disappeared into it for hours. Honestly, probably the best playground of the entire trip.
We hopped onto one of their old trams for a city tour, which was very cool in a charming, vintage kind of way. We walked, we explored, we ate some ridiculously tasty food, and we wrapped up our New Zealand chapter feeling very, very grateful.
Teddy finally got a decent haircut.
Conclusions
New Zealand stole our hearts and we’ll be back for sure. I can’t believe it’s already time to say goodbye. It genuinely feels like we arrived a few days ago. Honestly, I think we should all just agree to pick up our stuff and move to New Zealand together. It’s the best. Clean, fresh, green, healthy, happy, adventurous and downright breathtaking. What else can I say?
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Since I didn’t have a ton to report this time, I took the opportunity to interview the kids. Here we go. Feel free to drop more questions in the comments.
What was your favorite activity?
Edward: The LUGE. It was my first time. It went super fast and we even had jumps.
Emma: The glowworm and Waitomo caves. We visited two caves. I loved the fossils of the Moas in one of them. The glowworms looked like a sky full of stars.
Parents: Solid choices.
What was your biggest WOW moment?
Edward: When we arrived at Lake Tekapo the first time. Remember the 12-hour detour. I think I even said, Wow, this is magical.
Emma: When we arrived at the free campsite and could see all the snowy mountains and Mount Cook. It was so beautiful.
Parents: We agree. Zero debate.
What was your favorite animal?
Edward: The Keas. I love their funny beaks. They’re so curious and come super close. Their colours under the wings are awesome.
Emma: Also the Keas. Their green is my favourite colour and the bright colours under their wings are amazing. I love how curious they are.
Parents: Seriously? You two gave the same answer word for word.
What was your favourite yummy bite?
Edward: All the treats. Pineapple Lumps, L&P, chocolate, the pistachio spread, chips, everything.
Emma: The mince and cheese pie. So good. I LOVED it.
Parents: Our children are motivated mainly by snacks. Good to know.
What was one of the funniest moments of the trip?
Edward: When the Weka wouldn’t leave you alone while you were exercising. They kept trying to steal your bands.
Emma: When Teddy was walking at Lake Matheson and just fell straight into a ditch.
Parents: Oh yeah. We were like, what just happened.
What was the best view?
Edward: There are a lot. Maybe the free campsite where we could see Mount Cook and play on the big rocks by the lake.
Emma: When we went out to take pictures of Mount Cook one evening and sat by the road.
Parents: People probably wondered why we were hanging out in camping chairs in the middle of nowhere. I also loved the waterfalls in Milford Sound.
Did we see more sheep or humans?
Edward: Sheep for sure.
Emma: Definitely sheep.
Parents: No argument here.
Where was the coldest water?
Edward and Emma: The cold plunge at the free campsite.
Parents: We still can’t feel our toes.
What’s your #1 advice for other kids visiting NZ?
Edward: Eat the pies and treats. Try the luge. Stop at all the viewpoints.
Emma: Same. Especially the viewpoints on the way to Milford Sound because you might see Keas. The South Island was my favourite but the North Island caves and glowworms were awesome. Also pies.
Parents: So pies are the theme. Noted.
What did you learn during your time here?
Edward: A lot of birds are in danger because of mammals brought by Europeans. The Moa is extinct now. It was huge, even bigger than an ostrich.
Emma: The only land mammal native to NZ is a bat. Land is important because they have whales and seals. Also glowworms only glow with their tails to attract flies and they make little webs to catch them.
Parents: Our kids are officially more knowledgeable than we are.
Do you think you’ll come back when you’re older?
Edward: Yes. The weather is perfect.
Emma: Yes. It felt like home. I loved the birds and the views and nature.
Parents: Definitely!
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