After our long holiday, I needed to revamp some of our camping gear. We had broken two tent poles, so I had to find some replacements. I did order poles, they arrived and we made them work. The poles are strung together with thin bungee cord. I couldn't find thin cord so I bought elastic at the fabric store (Spotlight).
Our air mattresses had died, so I needed to come up with another option. I purchased three self-inflating mattresses. They have foam in them as well as air. Tom gets to sleep on the longest and thickest one since he's the biggest of us. Dennis and I have shorter, slightly thinner mattresses (also cheaper). Still, we were comfortable and slept well. The mattresses were stacked up during the day, so our tent had a bit more room for Dennis' changes from wet to dry clothes.
So we were prepared and in early February we went camping in Wainuiomata which is about a 30 minute drive. We, along with a number of area home educators, spent 3 days at a boy scout camp. Our group had a section of the camp all to ourselves.
The fire brigade visited and let the kids climb inside and gave them some stickers and activity books. We had an extra special photo op with the fire engine's name being Dennis. I think that's a manufacturer in the UK.
Tom got to try out his hammock that he got for Christmas. Perfect for that nap.
Both Tom and Dennis did some abseiling (repelling). I helped kids get their harnesses on and snugged up. Dennis enjoyed kayaking and hanging out with his friends.
The last night we had a big roaring campfire, sang songs and roasted marshmallows. Much sugar was consumed. Some got the added bonus of smoke in the eyes.
I did not pack the insect repellent because I thought the sand flies were more of a South Island thing. No they are not! So if you're doing any kind of camping in NZ pack some repellent. It's probably good advice for other locations too.
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