We woke up to rain and a low cloud cover. We enjoyed a mellow morning since we had nowhere to be and the weather wasn’t beckoning us out of the van.

Around 12:30pm we became restless and ready for a change of scenery. Not that it mattered but we found it entertaining that once again we were one of the last 2 campers at the campground.

Our first stop was Devils Punchbowl Falls only 10 minutes up the road, just outside Arthur’s Pass Village. Dressed in our rain gear, Laurie and the kids ventured ahead while Andy took a few minutes in silence before joining them.

The skies were grey and it was raining on and off. The kids seemed most excited to be splashing in puddles in the parking lot and less about the waterfall.

Less than 1/8th of a mile into the hike we crossed a footbridge over the Bealy River. The waterfall was already in view and quite spectacular.

The kids ran around excitedly, looking for any and every puddle to jump into. They crossed another footbridge soon after and climbed steadily on a wide trail with a few steps.

Fueled by gummies, the kiddos hiked a few more minutes until Andy caught up to them. Just before he got there he heard Ani crying after Miles had knocked her down.

Never a dull moment with these two rascals. Miles looked sheepishly at Andy. Andy went down to his level and reminded him that we do not hit. We continued hiking and came across a series of staircases.

Miles found it really fun to run up them. Ani found the first few entertaining as many were half her size and then asked to be carried.

The steps went on for about 10 minutes. We crested a hill and started to descend on more staircases. With every passing step we could hear the roaring waterfall intensify.

After one final push up another flight of stairs we made it to the viewing platform. Miles once again impressed us by walking the entire way. Go Miles!

We took a few photos, cooled down a bit and began our descent when the rain picked up. Laurie wanted Andy to carry Ani downhill to save her knee but Ani was getting tired and only wanted mama.

Laurie carried Ani down the one flight of stairs and up the few that followed, then Andy playfully took Ani and managed to keep her engaged down all of the remaining flights of stairs.

Once at the bridge Andy let Ani down in hopes she and Miles would run across the footbridge together but she ran to Laurie and wanted uppy instead.

We played hide and seek, had a few more gummies and played spot the other waterfalls all the way back to Blue Wave.

It was now around 130pm and Ani was due for a nap. But with us not driving at all and the four of us being in a small space together, Ani was too distracted to settle in for a nap.

We elected to drive further up the pass to the lookout we briefly stopped at yesterday called Otira Viaduct Lookout. Only Andy saw it yesterday and with the kids awake we figured they would enjoy the views too.

It is an impressive brige that spans 440 meters (1,440 ft) and is 40 meters ( 131 ft high). The weather was nicer yesterday but unfortunately today it was raining at the pass and the winds were gusting.

Andy noticed many cars at the lookout and elected to pull off at a wide pullout instead to give a few minutes for the traffic up the hill to clear.

While waiting the kids got hungry so we made tortellini and ate while watching two guys change a flat tire on their boat trailer.

The best part of the show were the kea birds that kept trying to sneak their dirty rags away and get into their Land Cruiser. After trying to shoo the kea birds away a dozen times, one of the guys had had enough and closed the rear hatch and windows to keep the kea out for good.

The kids were sitting in the front seats with Andy behind the passenger seat, all of them giggling away at the kea’s antics.

We spent the next hour playing role reversal (Andy and Laurie were the whiny and needy kids) and Miles and Ani were the parents. Ani went to work, Miles stayed home with the baby (Laurie).

Laurie is not very creative with games like these but enjoyed the moments to close her eyes and snuggle with her “mama” and “dada” at different times.

Around 330pm we went up to the lookout. Andy opened his door and the wind darn near ripped the door off the van.

This was the second time that has happened on this trip and it again reminded him of Iceland, where we were warned by the rental car company about this very situation that leads to doors actually parting ways from the car they were attached to.

Thankfully Andy caught the door before it swung open all the way. By some miracle he convinced Miles to go out in his PJs to see the bridge and go right back into the van. Andy carried Miles as he had no shoes. The two laughed and laughed as the cold rain drops pelted them on their backs, and then their faces.

Ani was eagerly waiting her turn after seeing the fun the boys were having so after dropping off Miles, Andy took Ani out. She didn’t enjoy it as much but she didn’t cry, which was a real win because Ani does not like the wind or driving rain.

This reminded us of Miles around the same age during our trip to Yellowstone. It was windy and snowing and he would cry when the snow would find his face and eyes.

We settled back into the warmth of the van and drove 2 minutes to the Otira Valley Track parking area.

Around 4 pm we put on our rain attire once more (this time over long underwear rather than pjs) and headed out. The Otira Valley track is described as a gently graded 1.7 km track.

The elevation was not significant but the trail was very rocky and slippery because of the rain. It wandered through a picturesque alpine valley nestled beneath the northern slopes of Mount Rolleston/Kaimatau.

Most of the views were obscured by the low hanging clouds but occasionally we got glimpses of snow on the towering mountains above.

It felt good to be stretching our legs and breathing in the fresh air. While Ani wanted to be carried the entire way, Miles was a trooper once again. Powered by Annie’s fruit snacks he walked the whole way, stomping in puddles, clambering over rocks and jumping out from bushes and rocks to scare Andy.

Hiking and generally spending time outdoors is incredibly important to both Andy and Laurie. It warms both of our hearts to see Miles embracing the elements (thank you rain suit!) and having fun while hiking.

Laurie wins the tough mama award for this hike as the only time Ani wasn’t in mama’s arms was when she was put down to stand on the trail and eat her gummy (yes we gave her gummies even though she wasn’t walking) or when she and Miles were hiding from dada.

It was getting late and we decided to turn around before we finished the track, something that is not easy for Laurie to do. But we had forgotten to bring water and Miles was thirsty.

Ani fell asleep in Laurie’s arms almost immediately after we turned around. Driving induces sleep for her and when we have days with minimal driving, like today, she fights her nap vehemently, until she passes out while being rocked during a piggy back ride.

We were only 50 feet away from the van when Miles slipped and fell and was crying while lying on his back.

Andy ran over to him and picked him up. Miles was complaining about his knee hurting. Our sweet, strong boy was doing so well on this hike too. He walked the whole way by himself and had already navigated quite a few tricky sections of trail. But this one got him.

Andy carried him to the van and distracted him with his water bottle. Amazingly this did the trick and Miles made no mention of his knee for the rest of the day.

Back at Blue Wave we stripped out of our rain attire and drove 12 minutes to camp.

As we drove through Arthur’s Pass Village, Andy noticed the lights of a train. He sped up to catch and eventually pass the train, later pulling into a pullout so the kids can watch the entire train pass us. Simple things like this bring so much pleasure to the kids, and indirectly, us.

Once back at camp we made and ate dinner. The kids watched Berenstein Bears and Bluey while Andy and Laurie sorted and packed away most of our stuff in anticipation of returning the van tomorrow.

We’ve spoiled these kiddos today. But they deserve it. They have been such troopers on this trip.

But as easy as it is to look at watching as a reward, it really isn’t. Not for Miles anyway. He has an incredibly hard time ungluing himself when we say it’s time to turn it off. He’s also less imaginative and less resilient throughout the day on days when he watches even just 20 minutes of any show.

Eventually, we peeled him away from the screen, wrestled for a bit, read a book or two, and around 1030pm, without much protest, we called it a night.

Miles slept with Andy on the top bunk and Ani snuggled with Laurie. Both kids were exhausted and fell asleep easily.

This would be our last sleep in Blue Wave. Tomorrow we return it to the rental company. It has been really nice to have a consistent place to call “home” as we drove around this magnificent island.

It’s been bittersweet as the van has taken us to so many beautiful places while performing flawlessly with no mechanical issues, but the lack of ventilation and discomfort with the bugs is something we are happy to be done with.

And as we’ve mentioned, Miles is ready to go home. He has said so many times. He has started asking for comfort foods and asking to play with specific toys.

He said tonight he would have liked this trip to be half as long. When asked which half he would want to skip, he responded with “well, maybe a little more than half, but not this long.” We are glad he is able to recognize his limits.

Ani is at an age where she goes with the flow. In all honesty, as long as she has access to “bootie” she is happy. Her attachment to Laurie and desire for mama to carry her and do things for or with her is at an all time high. And perhaps this how she is coping with being on this long trip.

We will see how Ani settles as we transition back home and to our school and work routine.

We killed only one sandfly before going to sleep tonight, compared with the usual dozen, so fingers crossed for a good last night’s rest.

We woke up and drove 10 minutes in our pjs to town. We needed to shop and dump before driving 20 minutes to Shantytown – a historic mining village.

As one would expect, bigger towns have larger grocery stores which offer more variety and increase the chances of finding bread and other foods with better ingredients. Interestingly, every store, even if part of the same chain, sell different things.

Andy parked at the beach 2 blocks from New World supermarket and opened the back doors so Laurie and the kids could have views of the ocean.

The breeze meant no bugs so we all enjoyed the refreshing air and sounds of the crashing waves.

Miles really did not want to leave the van so he and Laurie stayed to color and do crafts.

Ani wanted to go with Andy but once in the market she wanted to be carried, refused to sit in the cart (or trolly as they’re called here) and Andy had forgotten her shoes. So after 15 minutes he brought her back to the van.

We had hoped it would be a quick shopping trip since we mainly needed perishables but it still took an hour. Andy is very attentive to making sure we put good quality foods in our bodies so shopping takes time. And since every store sells different things, reading ingredient labels is a continuous task.

It has to be done so Andy does it but Laurie and the kids get impatient. We learned quickly on this trip that it works best when he does the shopping solo.

Laurie and kiddos ate berries, apples and cheese on the bed while watching the waves and people come and go. There is something so special about sitting on a bed with feet nestled in a comforter gazing out at the beautiful world.

Just as Andy was walking back to the van he saw Laurie and the kids clambering out to walk 20 feet to the beach. It took some convincing but Laurie believed this would be the last beach of our trip and wanted to make sure the kids got an opportunity to dig and play if desired.

We spent 90 minutes at the beach. The top layer of the sand was warm but cool sand was found only an inch below. We took turns burying each others legs and building castles.

Andy came down to join after putting away groceries and took Ani to the water. Laurie and Miles started to build a driftwood teepee but Laurie accidentally knocked it over, greatly upsetting Miles. Following the release of strong emotions, we built it again.

After the teepee was made, we stood back once more and had a moment of awe. It felt so cool to gaze at snow capped mountains while our feet were buried in sand.

Once back in the van we shared a second breakfast and eventually around 120pm headed north 4 minutes to the dump. Around 2pm we were finally on the road to Shantytown.

It was past Ani’s nap time, but Laurie kept her engaged and awake as we drove. Unfortunately as we walked up we saw a big puff of smoke rising from behind the front buildings.

Initially we thought there could be a fire but it lessened rather than grew. We realized it was the coal engine of the train, which had just left the station. Biscuits!

After a short stop at the model train exhibit, we walked 5 minutes through a rainforest to the gold panning site. Nobody was there, but a sign said they were out on the train and would return shortly. We wandered around and played games, trying to keep Ani engaged so she didn’t get cranky and crash.

At 2:45 we watched a demonstration of a technique used in gold mining called sluicing. High pressure water was sent into the hillside by a metal fire hydrant and was funneled down through a channel with wooden slatted boards.

Each of these boards sat on top of wool or some other fabric. The theory is that since gold is heavy, it would fall into the slats and get caught in the fabric while dirt and rocks would tumble down the channel or fall off the fabric. This technique was effective but costly both in man power and to the environment.

Finally around 3pm we walked back to the gold mining area. This was the main reason we came and the heat and long wait was making us all cranky.

Once we got to panning, we all started to have fun. And it turns out Andy is a natural gold miner! He helped each kid sift out the dirt and rocks until all that was left in the pan were some sand sized speckles of gold. Each kid got a small vile with their gold as a souvenir and we decided to leave so Ani could finally get her nap.

But as we walked toward the entrance we noticed that the train was leaving in 5 minutes. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to ride on a coal engine, we walked through the waiting room of the makeshift town and onto the 1 car train.

Unfortunately it was running late so we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Ani was starting to lose it. She nursed when we finally took off and was falling asleep as we rode, but got a second wind when the train stopped at the turn around spot.

We walked through the engine car and got to feel the heat of the stove and touch the coal that was going in to power the train.

Once back at the entrance, both kids wanted to play; Miles with the model trains and Ani at the playground. We gave them 15 minutes before a hard stop.

We finally left around 345pm. Once on the road Ani fell asleep almost immediately. At one point she was trying to take bites and chew her bread, butter and honey with her eyes closed. It’s the cutest thing when she tries to do this.

We drove south for a short bit, then turned inland and east toward Christchurch.

The road to the town of Arthur’s Pass, and the pass itself felt like the passes we’re used to; steep climbs up twisty roads that are narrow and exposed.

The kids were asleep as we crested the pass under stormy skies. It was wet and windy but we stopped at the top m to get a view of a spectacular bridge and were met with a strong wind and 2 friendly Kea birds.

These mountain parrots were the same type of bird that was pecking at our windshield in Milford Sound.

Both kids slept until we got to camp at 6pm. We had said we were not going to let them take late naps but their bodies and minds needed the extra sleep so we’re ok with it and will give them grace to ensure night time isn’t a struggle.

Camp tonight was at Klondyke Corner, a DOC operated campsite on the shores of the Bealy River with plenty of space for people to spread out.

Laurie got out another toy surprise for the kids shortly after we parked at camp – cling on decorations. She didn’t think it would be a hit but the kids were engaged and played for an hour with them. First by themselves, then together.

We ate mac and cheese for dinner with minced bacon Andy bought from the butcher the day before. It was a hearty and filling meal. Andy used gouda in the mac and cheese, which happens to be a great cheese for this application.

The kiddos drank two servings of apple and blueberry juice with dinner, then played more until it was time for bed around 10pm.

From the moment we parked at camp, Ani asked Andy to go outside. As much as Andy wanted to go outside himself and take Ani with him, he didn’t want the plethora of sandflies to come in.

Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered because we killed 15 sandflies in the 20 minutes or so before bed. We saw zero since being at camp from 630pm until 10pm. Where did they all come from?

We have a few theories, including the sandflies hiding in the gaps in the windows and coming out when it gets dark after we turn on the bright interior lights.

But why would they wait until right before bed? Those lights were on for at least two hours. We give up trying to figure out where they are coming in from and just want to make it through the next two days and return the van.

At 11pm Ani was all of a sudden afraid of monsters being in Blue Wave. To put her at ease, we turned on a few lights and conducted a monster check.

After she felt better about the van being monster free, we listened to piano music for 2nd night in a row as we all dosed off to sleep.

This is our 2nd to last night in the van. Andy and Laurie are ready to be done getting bitten by pesky flies and Miles is ready to play with his toy ambulance Avi.

Ani seems to just be going along with whatever as long as she gets sweet treats and “bootie”. But Miles is a week past his limit for how long we can travel before he yearns to be back home.

Andy and Laurie were up until 230am hunting down a mosquito. They were unsuccessful and gave up the hunt with hopes it was a male mosquito and would not bite them.

We are very much over the biting pests. Andy always looks for a silver lining in every situation and is grateful the kids have been bitten considerably less than us. He is also grateful for our camper at home – for its ventilation and many screens that keep the bugs out.

We were all awake around 915am, some of us feeling more groggy than others. Our routine lately has been Andy getting out of bed first, usually because he’s too warm in the top bed. Then the kids push the button to send the bed up to daytime mode and sit more comfortably on the bottom bed and draw, read or make foil art.

We left camp around 11am and drove toward Whataroa River with a campsite along its shores.

It was only 40 minutes from our camp the night before so we didn’t need a spot to land that early, but Andy was intrigued by the location and it wasn’t too far out of the way.

It reminded him of dispersed camping back home – no toilets, no facilities of any kind. Just a spot by the river on public land. It seemed idyllic on paper.

This little excursion was a win-win-win. Andy enjoyed driving down side roads that turned to dirt and became more rural, the kids loved climbing on sand and rock piles where we parked and Laurie was just happy that everyone was enjoying themselves and not wanting much from her for a little while.

We ate a late breakfast and went down to the water. The kids dug along the shores of the river while Andy submerged his body on three different occasions and Laurie just once. The water was very refreshing under the intense sun so the numbness from the cold didn’t last long.

All was well and we were enjoying the moment until Ani ignored Miles’ multiple requests to dig somewhere else and leave his space.

Unfortunately Miles hit Ani’s shovel full of sand with his, sending all of the sand from her shovel flying into her face. The laughter and lightness quickly turned into yelling and crying. It was a sour ending to a fun few hours by the river.

Once everyone was calm and we were all in a better place, we buckled up and hit the road once more.

Andy has been doing research each night using Google Maps. We’ve had reception a lot of the time at camp but even when we didn’t, he’s been able to map out the following day using points of interest he sees on the offline maps.

The next stop today was Thomson Homekill. We think and hope this is a butcher, but only time will tell. Google maps had no pictures, description or website, but there were enough positive reviews to be compelling.

We enjoyed the pretty drive with snow on distant mountain tops. The road then twisted through rainforest and many scenic reserves.

Once out of the rainforest, we crossed many bridges over beautiful rivers. Speaking of, the rivers in this area were stunning.

After driving past one in particular and commenting how pretty and blue the water was, we turned around and went back to take a closer look. Turns out this was the Whataroa River, the same water we dipped in earlier in the day, now at a different point in its journey. The incredible turquoise water with snow capped mountains in the distance was incredibly picturesque.

After soaking in the views of the river while Ani slept, we turned our barge around and headed north again.

Shortly after we arrived at Thompson Homekill, which turned out to be a butcher after all. People inside were purchasing a leg of lamb and other light, summery foods in preparation for Christmas.

Obviously this is a joke, but we still can’t get used to Christmas in the summertime. Andy bought 2 packages of minced bacon, the only non-frozen food in their fridge that didn’t have preservatives in it and we were back on the road.

As per usual on this trip, our slow mornings led to us arriving at destinations later than ideal so we skipped the planned treetop walk and went to the Hokitika Gorge instead.

The treetop walk looked interesting but we didn’t want to pay a lot of money for only 30 minutes there. The gorge however, required 30 more minutes of driving, but we wouldn’t be under a time crunch.

The trail through to the gorge was a wide, gentle path that led us through a beautiful tropical rainforest. It was a busy trail too, with good reason. This is a family friendly hike that almost everyone can do without much assistance.

At one point we spotted a rather large bird on a branch right over our heads but before we could attempt to identify it, it flew away. The kids ran on the path being controlled like remote controlled cars and powered by gummies and a Clif bar.

Laurie and Andy were annoyed with Miles for getting in Ani’s space and blocking the line like another kid does in his school. This irritated all of us, particularly Andy who was still harboring some resentment from the incident at the riverbed earlier in the day.

We did our best to breathe and calm ourselves all the while distracting Miles by commanding him to do various things as a remote controlled car.

It worked well and after about 20 minutes we arrived at a really cool and wobbly suspension bridge with amazing turquoise water flowing through the impressive rock-walled canyon below.

It was so pretty, we were glad we took the 30 minute detour.

On the hike back the kids continued to eat their respective snacks. Ani was willing and wanted to share her Clif bar (because she really wanted gummies) but Miles would not (because he didn’t want any of Ani’s Clif bar).

Once back at Blue Wave Andy looked at the map and saw a place called Sunset Point in Hokitika. Wanting a place to cook with potential for more wind, and for the camper to be cooler at camp, we headed there to cook dinner.

It was a great spot and we were not alone! Many people were walking toward the point to catch the sunset. There were also a few black bunnies. Of course the bunnies in New Zealand would be black 🙂

After dinner, we walked to the beach and caught the sunset with beautiful, snow capped mountains in the distance. Miles really wanted Andy to race so they raced twice on the way back to Blue Wave, Ani winning one of them thanks to her head start.

We drove to camp under a pink and orange sky, beating yesterday’s record for arriving to camp the latest yet – 925pm.

We really like doing things before we get to camp so that when we stop for the night we do not open windows or doors to minimize bugs coming in.

We drive with the screens taped to the outside windows to accomplish this, but tonight we didn’t even bother opening the windows. It was cool enough and we were tired enough to just want to go to bed. At least the adults were.

More on that in a bit, but first the drive into our camp at Lake Mahinapua was especially magical and noteworthy. We turned off of State Highway 6 into a pitch black forest. It was such a contrast to the fading light we left behind on the highway.

After 30 seconds or so, we emerged into the remaining light once again and the lake came into view. The camping area, which was a large open field that could easily be mistaken for a rugby or soccer field, was filled with vans of all shapes and sizes. We picked a level spot and called it home.

Laurie was ready for sleep but alas, fate had in store for us the familiar struggles with bedtime routines first. Miles and Ani were being rascals and Laurie was getting really annoyed.

They were climbing on her, bumping into her, laughing carelessly when she asked for space and also when she asked them to stop jumping on her.

Miles was the instigator and Ani followed everything he did. It takes a lot for Laurie to lose her cool but tonight she was beat and her reserves were running low.

After many threats they finally calmed down and layed in bed. Miles requested piano music. Two minutes later everyone was asleep around 11pm.

We’re hoping for a restful night with no interruptions or bites.