Camping!

After a year of talking about it, we finally got away on our first ever camping adventure with the the kids.  We hadn't been able to buy a tent (far out those things cost a lot!) but our amazing friends happily lent us their 3 bedroom and a lounge tent - just the kind we were thinking of buying so that was awesome! And our other amazing friends invited us to their family favourite campsite in Mahia, it's a little gem and very affordable so off we went, loaded with pots and burners, batteries galore and brand new airbeds.  Excited? Yes!! 

The first thing we learnt is that putting a big tent up on a sandy site in a wind requires a few extra hands, and much gruntier tent pegs then the ones we had! Thankfully our friends have done this before and had lots to lend us.  Marty put the tent up like a pro, you wouldn't think he had only seen it done once and wasn't a camper.  The kids disappeared as soon as we arrived, off with the other, bigger kids  who immediately became mini babysitters and best friends to our lot.  Brilliant! It's only a small camp ground with about 10 sites, so we knew everyone within an hour and felt completly safe.  There are full kitchen facilities (we had our own fridge but I refused to cook inside- hehe!) and a large dining hall hangout which soon had kids playing card games (my kids learnt "Pitt" and now want it).  Our site was right next to the kids sandpit, which kept everyone happy, and a 10 metre walk to our friends site, so we all hung out together. It was pretty much your dream setup!! 

Here we are having pancakes for brekkie with some of the 16 that made up our group. We were warmly included in the Dempsey family clan! 

So what did we get up to while camping? Easiest to put it in order me thinks!

Day 1: arrive at lunchtime.  Kids disappear with the other kids to explore. We get burnt putting the tent up.  Then off to the beach for some sand and water time. Jellyfish in the water so water time is a bit nervously done!  Nachos for tea cooked outside. Kids play spotlight once it's dark, adults play card games in the hall.  Brill.  Everyone falls asleep fast! 

Day 2: Marty goes off on the boat with the boys.  Us girls head to the beach with the kids.  Windy!!! After lunch, the boys decide to go to the hot pools, the girls head out for iced coffees and a play at the wee cafe set up in the old school.  More beach time- get completly sand blasted in the wind and give up.  BBQ tea cooked outside, early night for the kids (8:30pm is early when camping!) and an intense evening of playing "Forbidden island" with the Dempseys - so much fun!!!.  

Day 3:  our kids super Godparents offer to have the kids for the day so Marty and I can go out on the boat fishing - something I have always wanted to do.  They had a blast at the beach and i LOVED the fishing.  Crab pots, longline, net and rod - we got to do it all...although they weren't biting much.  I did catch a shark though! 

When we got back to shore, the kids met up with us and Jeremy took them for a little boat ride and even let them drive the boat, which they all loved doing.  What a great experience.  They liked touching the (dead)Sharks and gurnard too - not often you can do that! 

That night we all went out for dinner at the pub - table for 16 please!!! Then it was more spotlight fun for the kids while us adults sat around and chatted. I was offered the metre long kingfish to take home - yes please!!! I learnt how to fillet it myself, and fried half of it up for brekkie the next day, it was soo yummy. 

Day 4: home day, much to everyone's sadness. We all had such a good time and didn't want it to end. We visited the market, had an ice cream, did one last beach trip (it was a stunning day) and the kids got to play in the clear water with little fish swimming around them! After a lunch of leftovers it was time to load the car, pack up the tent and head home.  

 We will definitely be doing this again...it was so much fun!!! We are now officially campers!