Planning a trip on a computer has its challenges because there are things you can’t factor in, such as topography, weather, road conditions, closures, etc.

Planning a trip with kids is even more challenging. At home a 2.5 hour drive takes 3.5 or 4 hours. How much longer would a 2.5 hour drive take in another country? How would the kids do sitting in a vehicle for that long day after day?

There are lots of unknowns but as long as we are willing to make changes on the fly and roll with whatever comes our way we can still have fun and enjoy our trip.

Knowing we had a longer drive yesterday and how remote we would be, we had chosen to stay at Tōtaranui campground for two nights when planning our trip at home.

We had hoped to use this non driving day to play in the sand, enjoy the water and hike a very small portion of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track.

Andy woke up at 520am and felt very rested, even though he had gone to bed at 1145pm the night before. He looked at the vent screen and only saw 2 or 3 sand flies compared a dozen or so the morning prior.

After laying in bed enjoying the birdsongs, he got out of bed and sat on the driver’s seat (which spins around to face the inside of the van when stopped) next to the open window to finish a few blog posts and look at attractions and drive times for the days ahead.

The cool morning breeze and continued birdsongs were joyful and incredibly relaxing. He was in his happy place.

Ani was shifting and coughing a lot by 630am and could only be comforted by bootie (this is what she calls boobie and what she says when she wants to nurse).

She coughed and coughed and nursed and continued to sleep. Meanwhile Miles slept like a corpse during all of this. Eventually Laurie and the kids woke up around 9am when the cutest old man you’ve ever met came around to collect our number plate for registration purposes.

Miles was grumpy at first and blamed Andy for waking him up when Andy came back into the van. His mean-muggin face was really cute. Even though Andy had walked with the man about 20 feet away from the camper, the opening and closing of the door were enough to wake them up.

We had a relaxing and slow morning, taking time to just play and do what the kids wanted instead of hurrying them into their car seats.

Around 1030 we had a breakfast consisting of eggs, jelly and bread with butter. An hour later Laurie and the kids went outside to dig, run around and play before we all headed down to the water.

With sunblock on our skins and beach toys in hand, we all walked to the beach and immediately began to dig or look for cool seashells.

The kids dipped their toes in the cool but not cold water while Andy and Laurie took turns going deeper. Andy can’t remember the last time he was in salty ocean water. It felt very refreshing, until the wind picked up.

Thirty minutes into our outing Ani began asking to go back to the camper. Andy realized she was tired and likely wanting a nap so he carried her back. Within 5 minutes she was asleep. Ani is a trooper. Her nose is like a running faucet today but she’s in good spirits. And thankfully her deep cough is starting to soften.

Miles and Laurie dug and played in the sand for almost an hour before returning to the van.

The sun feels hotter and stronger here. A video we watched mentioned New Zealand being close to the hole in the ozone layer, therefore the sun being more intense. We haven’t looked into this but 15 minutes is the maximum we stay out in the piercing sun without sunblock, especially the kids.

After sleeping in Andy’s arms for almost an hour Ani woke up. We had lunch and played in the van a bit.

Andy was feeling uneasy about our long driving days ahead so we set up the kids in front of the iPad to watch Bluey while we figured out a better itinerary than what we had put together at home. (Turns out we stuck with the basic outline we had created at home with many 2-3 hour driving days and one 5 hour day.)

After 45 minutes or so we resumed playing in the van, then washed dishes and put things away because it was moving day.

Our campsite wasn’t very level so we had decided we wanted to move to a level spot that was closer to the water and to the start of the track.

Laurie sat on the bed with the kids while Andy drove super slowly. We found a spot we liked, parked it and headed out for a walk to Skinner point. The sign stated 15 mins one way to the lookout site.

Powered by too many gummies for the steps walked, we slowly made our way along the trail.

Ani wanted the gummies Miles was eating instead of the dried mango chews she chose so they began negotiating with Miles, who asked for two mango chews for one gummy since his gummies were bigger. It is fun to watch them sort things out.

We took a side trail to a magnificent climbing tree before making the final push to Skinner Point.

According to another hiker, on a cloudless sunny day the water is turquoise and very picturesque, but with the partial cloud cover of today the colors weren’t as vibrant. It was very pretty to us and we enjoyed the view.

At the viewpoint Miles saw rock outcroppings below that he really wanted to hop along. He became excited when we told him that after dinner we would walk to those rocks and explore.

We made our way back and Andy prepared tortellini with chicken, bacon and mozzarella cheese. After a bit of declaration for wanting something different, both kids ate reasonably well.

Ani hasn’t had much of an appetite on this trip thus far, which is understandable given her cold. But it worries Andy since er wants his kids to be well fed and healthy.

With tortellinis in our bellies, Laurie and the kids headed out in search of the rocks with Andy about 10 minutes behind. He appreciated the few moments of silence as being in tight quarters with 2 loud children is very challenging for him.

Laurie and the kids ran along the beach playing games with their foot prints. As long as we were moving the sand flies weren’t an issue. But once we stopped, they attacked and Laurie got really grumpy. Eventually Ani wanted to be carried but luckily Miles was excited and kept walking.

The tide had come in since we were at Skinner point so we couldn’t access the exact rocks but Laurie and Miles enjoyed exploring and looking at the different shells and their inhabitants.

Ani wasn’t as keen on rock exploring but did enjoy hopping from rock to rock just like her brother.

Eventually the sand flies got to Laurie and she declared she was heading back with Ani in hand. Andy and Miles ran around chasing each other all the way back.

We cleaned our feet at the spigot again and strategically entered the van to minimize unwanted flying guests.

Laurie and Andy took turns showering while the kids refused, opting for wet wipe baths instead. Given the amount of sunscreen we had applied in their legs and faces, we really wanted them to shower.

But not even the bribe of ice cream the following day was enough. Miles definitely thought about it though, going so far as getting fully undressed. But at the last minute he changed his mind.

Ani would have likely showered too if Miles had done so, but alas, both refused and we didn’t fight them on it. If ice cream couldn’t win them over, what would?

We turned on Bluey once again after we had both finished showering. Laurie wiped them down and Andy brushed their teeth.

Miles did not nap today and Ani slept for less than an hour so there wasn’t too much in the way of extra curricular activities before both fell asleep.

Andy woke up around 6am to his feet itching like crazy. After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he noticed a few dozen sand flies circling the vent, which is essentially right above where his feet are in his bed.

As we mentioned yesterday, the holes of the mesh of the vent are large enough that the sand flies can weasel their way in. And boy had they done just that this morning.

Andy shooed away as many of them as he could, then killed as many of them as he saw. Thankfully the early morning clapping and slapping the wooden surfaces of the van didn’t wake up the kids.

Laurie woke up around 630 and Ani around 7am. We had hoped for an early departure given our 3 hour drive to the upper reaches of Abel Tasman National Park but Miles slept in until 8 am. We rarely wake our children from sleep because the silence is so magical!

Around 840am we were on the road with breakfast ready and blue wave packed up and ready to tackle the curvy, mountainous roads.

We were determined to get to town and find a hardware store but we have learned that the roadside viewing areas are worthwhile stops and many include short walks to viewpoints and are good opportunities for us to stretch our legs.

We pulled off the smooth highway and onto a short, pothole ridden one lane road with overgrown trees that took us uphill for a short distance to the parking area.

We then bribed the kids out of the car with a muffin Andy had purchased yesterday at the bakery in Hanmer Springs.

A lovely trail, cooled and shaded by the canopy of trees above led to an open viewing area with peaks holding on to the last of the snow before it all melts away in the summer heat.

Miles declared himself the muffin czar, rationing everyone’s portions as we enjoyed the 360 degree views.

We quickly put an end to the tyrant’s antics, reclaiming our muffin, but the history lesson was cut short due to a visit from two weka birds. We had not seen these creatures before. They were not afraid of humans and approached us in hopes of scoring food.

Miles wanted to feed them but we explained to him why we should never feed any animals. He seemed to understand and proceed to chase them away when they came too close.

After enjoying the views and running back to blue wave through the shaded canopy, we winded our way to the town of Matueka for a resupply.

We found a hardware store and bought bug netting and painters tape to make bug screens for the driver and passenger windows. We are really excited and hopeful this will increase airflow in the van.

We also purchased a usb charged fan and a 12v phone charger as the van has only usb-c ports and us still-stuck-in-the-olden-days folks have usb-a charging cables.

Other items on our list included chord for drying laundry, gloves for when Andy dumps the tanks and hand sanitizer.

We found everything we needed at this hardware store and were incredibly grateful. But we weren’t done yet.

Miles found the toy aisle so we also got an off brand LEGO forklift for him and sand shovels for Ani.

We had lunch at a restaurant that gave off all kinds of hippy and wellness vibes and then restocked our kombucha, veggie and yogurt supply at the grocery store. The kids love kombucha and the cold fizzy is so satiating in the heat

After Andy dumped the tanks and topped off our potable water, it was time to hit the road again and conquer ‘the hill’.

A friendly worker at the hardware store told us that the road up and over Takaka Hill has over 2,000 curves. Andy was excited.

The road was pretty and the curves were sharp and steep. Almost at the top of the hill we came upon a sign for a viewing area.

Without hesitation we pulled in, parked and were greeted by another weka. We’re getting the feeling this birds are ubiquitous to the area.

A dirt path gave way to a boardwalk that led us past unique rocks shaped by rainfall to a very scenic viewing platform. The kids loved the boardwalk. They ran to the viewing area and back. Ani loved it so much she walked the whole thing twice.

After having our fill we got back into the car, crested the hill, and while tempted by caves and another viewing area, we descended the hill and into a beautiful valley with lots of grazing sheep.

As we kept driving, the farmland gave way to coastline and before we knew it we were on a tight, curvy road that twisted its way between the beach to our left and cool rock formations to our right.

It was getting late once again and we still had an hour of driving ahead of us. We have a habit of arriving at camp between 530 and 630pm on this trip. This doesn’t serve the kids as they are usually hungry by then, but as we found out today, this can also lead to late naps. In fact, they both took two naps today. One in the early morning around 10am and now again around 4pm.

The road climbed and climbed. Soon we weren’t near the coast any longer. Then the road turned to dirt. We realized we should have booked a campsite in the southern parts of Abel Tasman National Park and explored that area instead of heading out to the most remote part.

We will hopefully take this as a lesson for later this trip, but for now we have to safely navigate a 25ft campervan through a mostly one lane dirt road with many sharp curves.

Thankfully the road was in good shape and we saw only had to squeeze past one car as we climbed the dirt road.

After cresting the road, we encountered only 1 van but this was at a blind corner and Andy had to brake really hard to avoid a crash. Thankfully Andy is comfortable driving large vehicles in reverse so he backed up to a wide spot in the road to let the van pass.

Around 530pm we finally descended to the remote campground where we plan to stay for two nights.

We drove both arms of the campground, debating where to park blue wave. Eventually we settled into a spot away from other campers but not too far from the beach and ocean.

While the kids were still asleep, we took the bug netting and cut it into the shapes of the windows. We applied the masking tape and in no time we had screens on windows we could open without sand flies getting in!

We are beyond excited.

Without any fans it’s still quite hot in the van, especially when we cook, but with the small usb powered fan and the open windows, it’s much better than it was.

We also taped a piece of the screen above the mesh of the vent as a second barrier. So far no sand flies have come in through the windows or the vent. There are way less sand flies here than our camp yesterday, but they are still out and we hope to keep the out of blue wave.

Miles was getting restless before dinner so we told him to go run around outside and explore. He didn’t want to. We explained to him that exploring is fun and that once outside he would create games.

He doubled down and huffed and puffed harder and louder. Andy decided to sweeten the offer by offering Miles a purple New Zealand bill, which is a $50 note, if he went outside and caught a bird.

Miles, being the smart boy that he is, asked if it would count if he just touched it. Knowing he likely would not even be able to get close to any of the species of birds here, we said yes.

Miles put on his shoes, recruited Ani and went into chase mode. Watching Miles give chase unsuccessfully was comedic and cathartic to us. He was certainly trying though and we commended him for it.

After dinner, which was around 830pm, we went for a walk on the beach. The sand is very coarse and there are shells everywhere. Miles and Ani collected shells before Miles put his feet in the water and didn’t bring them out for over 30 minutes.

He was giggling and jumping as the waves came in. And Ani was running around on the hard sand as happy as a clam.

It was a special moment and one that reminded us that this is why we make the effort to get outside. These experiences are priceless. And ones that they’ll remember for a long time.

Or at least we hope.

Around 930pm, we made our way back to blue wave, after washing our feet at the nearby water fountain. We went inside and settled in, but not before Miles gave one last chase in hopes of earning his $50 bill.

Better luck tomorrow Miles.

Around 11pm, Miles finally fell asleep. But Ani, she was still rowdy and hitting Laurie and giggling. Laurie was getting more and more upset, which made Ani giggle harder and louder.

Eventually, after nursing her a few more times out of sheer desperation, Ani finally fell asleep.

Lesson learned. No more late naps!

Andy and Laurie were up until 3 am turning on and off our cell phone lights in search of mosquitoes. At least 3 times we were certain we had gotten them all and said goodnight, only to be startled again by either an itch or a buzz.

We were ready to throw in the towel. Andy went as far as drafting an email to the rental company to inquire about a partial refund if we return the van early.

The heat, the sand flies, the mosquitoes, the lack of sleep, the kids still being sick, the lack of ventilation in the van, the long travel days; it has caught up with us.

We have learned from backpacking that you never make a big decision on a bad day. You wait until things are better. And if you still feel like doing something different, that’s when you can decide to make a change.

Before leaving Whites Bay we finally convinced the kids to shower. We were able to wash Miles’ body and hair but unfortunately we ran out of water so Ani only got a lukewarm 15 second shower. At least their bodies were no longer sticky.

Twenty minutes after leaving Whites Bay we stopped at a playground that Andy had seen the day before. Sadly it was a bit run down and we didn’t stay long because the sun came out from behind the clouds and it got very hot very quickly.

We were about to leave when Laurie went down a bumpy slide with Ani and spotted a loquat tree. We picked a hat full prior to leaving.

Laurie then spotted a tire swing so Andy drove through the forest toward the beach. We had a few moments of carefree fun enjoying the breeze and lack of bugs.

Miles stayed inside the van to play with his Lego surprises so we opened the back doors of the van so he could at least see the ocean (not that he lifted his head once) and get some fresh air.

Our late starts are nice because we get to relax with the kiddos and enjoy a slower pace, but it means before we know it it’s one or two pm and we’re scrambling to get town chores done with a one or two hour car ride still looming.

Today was no different. We went into the town of Blenheim to resupply, and fill up on water and dump our tanks. Laurie helped fill the water tank while Andy dumped the cassette toilet.

With that necessary task done, we headed to Hedgerows Hydroponic Strawberries. Ani had fallen asleep prior to us getting to the dump station and was still asleep when we got to the strawberry shop.

Laurie and Miles went in to buy strawberries while Andy stayed behind to ensure Ani slept. Sadly, only after 10 minutes or so, Ani was having bad dreams and woke up crying and wanting mama.

Andy tried to console her to no avail, so he took her out to join the rest of the family. Once there she calmed down and enjoyed some amazing strawberries and strawberry ice cream.

After running a few more errands we finally hit the road to Kaikoura. We drove through grassy hills watching the wind create ripples and waves through the grass.

This is New Zealand’s famous Marlborough region. Vineyards cover the hillsides for kilometers. This part of the drive reminded us of the central coast of California.

Around 5pm we finally arrived at the parking lot for the seal colony. Once again, Miles needed convincing to get out of the car and explore. He protested and protested but eventually we peeled him away from the darn tablet loaded with cartoons and out into reality.

The kids enjoyed rock hopping toward the water and were excited to point to the seals when they saw them. Laurie enjoyed the cooler temperatures and the breeze.

We left the beach around 6pm and headed to The Pointe Bed & Breakfast campsite. Here we got to camp in a paddock – essentially a field which apparently is the kiwi thing to do. Miles was hungry and wanted soup so Andy reluctantly got to cooking.

His hesitation was that it would take at least 30 minutes to cook and while it was a lot cooler outside today, it was still warm in the van and cooking soup would only make it hotter inside.

Despite this he made the soup while Laurie and the kids were playing outside the van to the chorus of sheep baaa’ing. It was overcast and windy and Laurie was loving it.

After a while of playing soccer and tag in the grass, Laurie and the kids eventually got cold. It was such a welcomed feeling after days of hot stickiness. We came inside minutes before Andy had finished cooking. Miles proclaimed about a thousand times that he was hungry, making the wait for the food to cool even longer.

Once a satisfactory temperature, Miles ate 2 and 1/2 bowls and Ani ate a few carrots and onions. It was nice to see the kids eating something other than bread and butter and fruit and made the effort of the soup worth it.

After dinner the kids were rather dysregulated, causing frustration for Laurie and Andy.

Laurie wanted to shower and wanted Ani to get a proper shower too. Ani vehemently disapproved but Laurie wasn’t taking no for an answer and took her into the shower with her.

Ani cried intensely for the duration of the shower, bringing Andy to his breaking point. He absolutely hates when we cause unnecessary crying.

Ani fell asleep nursing wrapped in a towel from the shower. With a full tummy Miles was shifting trying to get comfortable with his blankie in the drivers seat. Andy called him over to the passenger seat and in less than 5 minutes he, too, was asleep. Finally, it was calm and quiet.

We basked in this moment, both holding a sleeping child. We texted to communicate, agreeing that we were not going to abruptly force the kids into doing things on this trip any longer.

Andy reminded Laurie of the importance of prepping the kids and making things fun rather than just powering through. We are constantly learning as parents and as partners.

Laurie cleaned off the bed so Andy could transfer Miles to it. But before doing so Andy wanted to have Miles pee.

He tried so hard to move gracefully but the van hallway isn’t very wide, nor are the doorways. Andy bonked Miles’ head twice and arm once en route to the bathroom.

Laurie couldn’t help but laugh while Andy was super apologetic to Miles. Thankfully Miles didn’t wake up and Andy was able to gently place Miles on his side of the bed.

Laurie and Andy were beat at this point and climbed into their respective beds without saying much and tried to go to sleep.

We’re hoping that with the cooler temperatures and the windows closed we avoid having issues with sand flies or mosquitoes tonight.