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Tuesday was a wet day so was spent playing games indoors and outside when the rain stopped. Leftovers were finished and room was made in the fridge for our Christmas feast on Wednesday.

Wednesday started out looking like eating outside would not be possible but the weather cleared for a lovely evening. Had a lovely Christmas dinner followed by an evening of karaoke. Mum and Dad wisely went home early as the kids kept us all up way too late singing.

Monday we took off for a day at Tawharauni beach. Waves were small and a lot of fun on the body boards. Matt managed to get a few small waves on the foam surfboard we have been carting around. Unfortunately the sun never really came out so it was a pretty cold beach day. Then it was back to Nadia’s for our yearly Masterchef competition. Very tough competition this year. Leila’s and Jackson’s ice cream cookie dessert took 1st place and Jonah and my California Burrito came in for 2nd.

Made it to Auckland Saturday. Had a delicious mezze at Mum and Dads that night and then Sunday it was all on with Nadia organising the Onehunga Amazing Race. Was fun to see Olivia competing this year. I was partnered with Sabien and Jonah who made sure that we kept a punishing pace as we sprinted around Onehunga. In the end Charlotte and Amber quietly walked in for 1st place!

Kids enjoyed a relaxing morning before I dropped them off at DeBretts Hot Springs where they spent a couple hours before calling to be picked up. Enjoyed the water park, but without a cold pool to cool off in they found they got too hot. We then stopped off at Taharepa Baths/Hot Water Beach where the kids enjoyed lake dips and then warming up in the natural hot water bath. Charlotte had the highest tolerance sitting the closest to the hot mineral water stream entering the pool and came out very pink. We then had a quick stop to watch the tries for the Hole in One out on the lake (one landed on the platform) before returning for lunch and to pick up Matt to then go see Huka Falls. Had good timing in that we had the added excitement of watching a group of kayakers come down over the falls! Olivia now knows what she wants to do someday. Olivia, Jonah, Matt and Cali then walked 3km along to trail to the Spa Thermal car park where Charlotte and I met them with the Ute. Jonah and Olivia spent some time in the river before we returned home. Olivia and Charlotte then cooked dinner for the kids and Matt and I walked out to Embra for an amazing 5 course dinner with fantastic wine pairings. Great night out. Looked ominous for rain but we got lucky and it stayed dry for our walk there and back. Was a great day in Taupo, though little of Taupo felt familiar to me. Especially how busy town and the roads looked. Though the pools and lakefront walk around the hot water beach both were relaxed and quiet. Huka Falls had all the tourists.

Everyone was up at 6am and we were at the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing by 7.30am. Charlotte was wearing my leggings so that Jonah could wear hers as he hadn’t packed any suitable pants and at 6 degrees pants were needed. Turned out his jumper also wasn’t suitable so he borrowed mine/Nicoles and then he was ready and off they went. Cali and I returned to Ohakune and enjoyed a 5km river walk from the house. We had been back 10 minutes when Matt informed me that Jonah was racing ahead and they had 7km left. A lot quicker than expected I packed up the house and head off to pick everyone up. Jonah and Matt were waiting at the car park when I arrived and girls were 5 minutes later. Jonah completed the track in 4 hours 15 minutes, Matt 4 hours 30 minutes (after racing ahead trying to catch Jonah) and girls 4 hours 50 minutes. Enjoyed the packed sandwiches in Tūrangi on our way to Taupo since they hadn’t stopped on the hike. Now relaxing in our Taupo AirBnB.

Woke up early with Cali and took her for a walk to the beach in the light drizzle while the kids slept and Matt worked. Beautiful, huge beach that goes on for miles in each direction. Saw two joggers and one other dog walker. Cali again enjoyed all the seaweed and also some dead fish. Explored the forest a little before returning to the AirBnB. Kids had breakfast and then joined Cali and I back in the forest where they had fun in the adventure park apparently made by a local guy. Once tiring of that had a lot of fun playing hide and seek with Cali amongst the trees before heading to the beach where Matt joined us. This time came across one jogger and two dog walkers. Two of the dogs were Golden Retrievers which Cali thoroughly enjoyed playing with when they were not trying to get at my dog treats. From there we had a stop at the strawberry farm and then it was on to Ohakune. Enjoyed some more walking in the drizzle while waiting for Olivia’s bus to get in. Got lunches made and waters filled ready for an early start the following morning for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Day 4 we got the kids up early to go whale watching. Cali and I entertained ourselves at the harbour where she had a great time enjoying the seaweed and rock pools before we packed up and picked everyone up after their tour. Then we drove up to Blenheim and enjoyed lunch at Wairau River winery. Had bought sandwiches for a picnic lunch at the beach where we had hoped to be able to use the surfboards but sadly the weather made that option impossible. The next morning we took a river walk in town and then kids did a little Christmas shopping at The Warehouse before catching our ferry to cross to the North Island. Unfortunately departure was delayed an hour so it we didn’t arrive to our AirBnB in Waitarere Beach until almost 9pm. Quickly cooked our steaks and enjoyed a late dinner.

Road trip to Auckland for Christmas 2025

Day 1 and 2 was spent in Christchurch with Nic, Jay and Mila. Exhausted Cali before setting off with a play date with her brother Pacho. She then arrived refreshed to play with George for a couple more hours. Luckily was not quick enough to catch the rabbit and later the chicken that somehow managed to get on the wrong side of the fence. The next morning was spent quietly watching the chickens and rabbits and the many birds that arrived in the large animal kingdom going on in Nic’s backyard. Then an afternoon at the beach where the kids braved the cold with their bodyboards and Cali enjoyed playing with the many dogs that came by. Day 3 the kids burned off some energy at Ninja Valley and I lost my jumper there. So left with Nic’s jumper and her jacket as I had packed for a warmer summer than we were getting. Then it was off for Kaikoura. Enjoyed a nice walk along the beach into town where Matt and I shared some mussels before our $19.95 steak dinner! Jonah had the kids fish and chips and then half my steak and Charlotte had some potato wedges with her sour cream.

We had 3 nights in Saigon. First day we took a walking tour through the city which took us by the main points of interest while telling us the history of the city. We took a peek through the markets that afternoon with the promise that we would return for some shopping before we left. That evening we walked the busy walking street where the kids were entertained by the dancing girls, bright lights and loud music. We took the next day to see the Cu Chi tunnels and our last day we visited the War Remnants Museum which was a very sad display of the havoc of war on the country. Very saddening and heartbreaking. We then spent a couple hours shopping at the markets before our flight home! Kids enjoyed the bargaining and were very happy with all our purchases. There will be a lot of souvenirs to remember this trip from for a long time.

We had an early flight from Da Nang to Can Tho to experience the Mekong Delta and the Cai Rang floating market. We arrived early and decided to spend the day exploring the area by bike. But the bikes were not comfortable to ride and it was hot and sticky and after awhile of biking along the river we decided we had seen enough and returned to our homestay. The next day was a very early start to see the floating village. Our guide had lived on one of the boats as a child with her grandparents. It was very interesting to hear about the life from her and I think/hope gave the kids something to think about. The big boats have a mast at the front hung with what ever produce they are selling. The street vendors then buy their goods from there to resell. We took a walk through one of the street markets which though probably the same as many other markets we had previously walked through with our guide we were then able to know what fruits we were looking at and more disturbing that the skinned carcasses at one stand were rats. Also saw the frogs having their heads cut off before being skinned in one quick movement and birds hanging waiting for death which was very hard for us all to stomach. From there we had a rice noodle making lesson and then a stop at a cacao farm which was actually very interesting seeing the chocolate making process. Before 3pm they do tours and then after 3pm is the commercial operation. We tried the fresh fruit which is the way the Vietnam would eat it before the French came and introduced the art of chocolate making. We were then shown the whole process. Jonah had quite a shock when he tried what looked like delicious chocolate after the beans had gone through the press, but without the addition of sugar was not the treat he was anticipating. After our busy morning we caught the sleeper bus for our 3.5 hour bus ride to Saigon.

Our last day in Hoi An was filled with activities. We started with a bike ride through the city (which is an adventure in itself) to a lantern making shop. Kids made a lantern each. We then had time for lunch and a coffee before meeting our guide for our afternoon activities. We started with a bike ride through the local farms where the different plants and production was explained to us. We then stopped for a buffalo ride and then Jonah and I got to practice being a farmer with the Buffalo. Then it was back on our bikes to ride the bucket boats and try catching a crab. We finished at the hosts house for a small cooking lesson (interesting to see how rice milk is made for the making of noodles and rice paper) and then had a lovely dinner before biking back to our starting point.

Took advantage of the late checkout to give Jonah some time to recover. It’s just a 45 minute drive from Da Nang to Hoi An so had plenty of time to check out the old town and sample a Hoi An Bahn Mi. The next day we biked to the beach where the waves were a little less rough than Da Nang but still not great for swimming or surfing. Had lunch in town where the owners dog had two 3 week old puppies for the kids to swoon over. We all got haircuts in the afternoon and Matt got a shave. Kids loved the hair wash and head and face massage that went with it. That evening we went down to see Hoi An by night which was very pretty with all the lanterns lit up. Charlotte released a lantern into the water but we decided against taking the boat ride. Finished the evening with a couple delicious IPA’s at the Three Bridges Brewery and kids shared a buffalo chicken sandwich. Unfortunately that didn’t seem to be the best for Jonah’s belly so he spent another evening in the bathroom.

Our last day in Da Nang we went to Marble Mountain which was is a few caves and temples throughout the mountain and some view points. Like Son Tra it’s very busy with a lot of tourists so had a bit of a queue as we waited to climb up through one of the caves. We were excited to see the dragon bridge show that was going to happen on our last night. 15 minutes from 9pm of Fire and Water. Unfortunately Jonah spent the night throwing up so only Matt and Charlotte were able to see it. Though they told us we didn’t miss much. With one week left in Vietnam we are hopeful that that it will pass with no more sickness for any of us.

Our first day in Da Nang after a late sushi lunch we took walk along the beach enjoying looking at all the seafood tanks displayed at the seafood restaurants and the kids played in the sand. Sadly the weather will not be ideal for the beach portion of our Vietnam trip. Overcast and the sea is wild with no swimming allowed. Still full from lunch the kids elected to stay in that evening and Matt and I took advantage of our central location walking out for a few beers and some fun people watching. Da Nang is a huge city and busy. The next day we took a grab up to Son Tra mountain (aka monkey mountain) to get a close up view of the Lady Buddha and of course the many monkeys. Decided to chance the rain and walk the 10km back. We were lucky with no rain though that didn’t stop the kids from moaning and fighting. In the afternoon kids enjoyed the hotels free afternoon tea and a swim in the rooftop pool though too cold for anyone else to be in it. That evening we ate at an Indian restaurant which was excellent though Jonah blames it for the his upset stomach the following evening. See the sign from in our hotel room - “No smoking, No Durian”. There is Durian for sale all over Da Nang and obviously enjoyed a lot by the Asian tourists. You see them in groups sharing a large fruit, scooping it out with gloved hands. We tried it in Hanoi and didn’t enjoy it, though I didn’t find it as stinky as Charlotte warned us it’s known to be.

We returned again to the bikes for transport to the city and the citadel, about 8km mainly along the river. After navigating around the busy congested construction area and making our way over several bridges we made it to the Dong Ba Market. (With a stop to buy our train tickets for the next day). After some lengthy negotiations to park our bikes (down from 10k to 5k) we entered the market. This market was huge and kept us entertained for a while meandering through. Matt, Charlotte and Jonah all left with a new bag. We also stocked up on some pistachios and cashews and also kids got a bag of a mango sweet. We then biked over to the citadel where we were able to park our bikes with a set charge, no haggling needed there. We joined a 2pm tour to see the citadel which was excellent and we all found to be very interesting, though Jonah struggled through the last hour of the 3 hour tour. Was especially interesting to learn that the local people had first burned most of it down with invasion of the French as they didn’t want them to be able to set themselves up there, and then what was left was destroyed during the American War so everything that we saw was a newly built replica. We also found out that social media phenomenon of Asians dressing up in their finest and having their photos taken in front of any historical place that we have been is going on all over Asia. Apparently it is all Asians that love to do this and only started happening with social media. The Hue Citadel tour finished at 5pm and with the sun setting at 5.30pm we ended up with first riding our bikes out of the city at what appeared to be rush hour and then after a lengthy stop while Matt tried to locate an ATM we were riding home in the dark. I would have liked to have taken a photo of Matt and the kids ahead of me riding their bikes with the swarm of scooters around them but I was too terrified to slow down to be able to get my phone out. Definitely made for a more exhilarating bike ride home though kids of course were not phased by it at all. We stopped for dinner at small restaurant where there was a table of Vietnamese enjoying their night with a box of beer. They were very friendly and welcomed us in and then one of the men came over several times with gifts of beer for Matt and I which we placed into our life bucket with the thought we would return on the way out. But he then came over and opened the cans and poured them into our cups so that idea was dashed. He also brought us some fruit which Charlotte loved and quickly finished. They also told us several times that our children are handsome which made Jonah blush. He definitely seems to receive more cuddles and head pats here from strangers than Charlotte. He also loves wearing his Argentina football shirt and the positive attention it brings from this football mad country. Tomorrow we travel by train to Da Nang for 3 nights by the beach. Forecast sadly shows rain.

By the end of our 4 night stay in Phong Nha the rice planting in front of our lodging was complete. Had been fascinating to see the process and the long busy days put in planting and then to see the fields finished and the work complete. We travelled by private car from Phong Nha to Hur with a stop at the Vinh Moc tunnels along the way. We had a guide take us through the tunnels whose mother had lived in the tunnels. Was amazing to see the network of tunnels. We were able to see a little of the 2nd and 3rd levels. The tunnels took 2 years to build and 60 families lived there for 6 years. 17 babies were born in the tunnels. It was a very sad and emotional visit and I believe has really left a lasting impression on us all of the horrors of war and the shame as the aggressors of the American/Vietnam War and the impressive strength and will of the Vietnamese people to survive. It was then a quick stop at the Hien Luong Bridge which during the war divided the north and south and is now a symbol of the reunification of Vietnam before continuing on to Hue. After checking into our homestay we took a short walk to a nearby large Buddhist temple and then stopped at the fruit stand on our way back to sample some of the unknown fruits we have seen. Our French host was kind enough to show us how each fruit was eaten. That night we had dinner with the orphanage kids that the proceeds from the homestay are used to provide for. (Run by our French host and his Vietnamese wife.)

Kids were super excited to be riding a scooter today rather than biking. It was about a 40 minute scooter ride to the national park and the first cave we visited, the Paradise Cave. Paradise Cave is huge and beautiful with massive stalactites and stalagmites. There was a long walkway through this cave. From the Paradise Cave we then took a short scooter ride to the Dark Cave. This cave was all for the kids. It started with a zip-line across the river, and then a short swim into the cave. We then took a short walk to the mud pool where we all took a mud bath. After cleaning off and swimming back out of the cave we kayaked back across the river. Finishing our adventure with a short zip line into the river and then there were inflatables to play on. This of course was the kids favourite cave. Our journey back was a little different with a small boat crossing with our scooters. Quick stop in town for a late lunch before returning to our farmstay.

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