I’ve had a lot going on, on a personal level. My husband and I are moving house this coming weekend – we’re moving into my nana’s house. Having spent a good portion of my childhood growing up in that house and being raised by her… it’s going to be strange living in her bedroom and knowing it’s not really hers anymore.
After we buried her ashes on her birthday, the 5th of May, I needed to get out of the city. It was a lot to process and I’d just made my sister have a meltdown when I mentioned the possibility of getting rid of Nana’s landline phone number (which we won’t use). I just needed some time away. I’m lucky that my husband is keen for adventuring whenever we can. I suggested we head out for a spontaneous overnight camping trip for the weekend.
We headed down to Karangahake Gorge – lovely easy walks, some cool historical features (it’s an old gold-mining area), and a gorgeous natural setting all makes for a great day out. I thought that perhaps we’d camp at Dickey Flat campsite, a super basic site that’s usually not busy. With the weather moving into winter temperatures, I was disappointed to find that there were still a few people around – so we jumped in the car and drove. And drove. With no plan.
There’s something to be said for just getting in the car and driving. We made soup and sausages for dinner on a picnic table at a random waterfront reserve god knows where (I could not tell you), and enjoyed a lovely sunset. Then we got back in the car, I used the Camping NZ app to have a look for nearby sites, and we found a nice holiday park to crash in for the night. Karl even managed to spot the meteor shower in the early hours while I snored beside him.
The next day we followed a roadside sign to the Katikati Bird Gardens. We knew nothing about it, except that Bird Gardens sounded like a thing we wanted to have in our lives. It was a really neat activity that made for some awesome photos and a lot of laughs.
Coming back to the city is always a disappointment after a weekend away. But I think we’ll be doing this more often – it might be getting colder but when you’re sleeping in the car it’s not so bad.
D
owl escapades 