Five years living in New Zealand, and this is the first time we went on a snow trip. John and I have always wanted to go, but we just thought it would be too much work going with two toddlers that we would not be able to enjoy anyway. This year, the girls are older, and able to follow instructions, so we joined our friends in this year’s winter trip.
It was a nice morning to be on the road. Ohakune, where we stayed, is about a 4 hour drive from Wellington. We stopped by the Army Museum in Waiouru for some snacks and also to stretch our legs.
We arrived in our hotel in the afternoon, and since we don’t go up to the mountain until the next morning, we had time to walk around Ohakune. It is a small town, there are lots of restaurants that cater to tourists. The special thing about this is the adventure park.
It is a cute playground, showcasing the various produce that are grown in the area. The girls liked playing there, even though it was quite muddy as the rain had just stopped.
In the evening, we had dinner with our friends, and a special birthday greeting for John. There were also games, always fun to do when you’re with a big group.
In the morning, everyone dressed up in snow gear. John and I bought these outfits a little bigger than the girls’ actual size, because they can still use it for next year. These products actually have adjustable bits for when kids grow. Just another reason why I think it’s good we waited till they’re a bit older before going for this trip.
We were on the Turoa side of Mt. Ruapehu. I think this is a good side for the kids to get acquainted with snow. This is their first time to see and touch snow. Katie was quite curious with all of it and was quite hesitant to play around. Patty took to it immediately, because she’d been watching “Frozen” many times.
On the way home, we stopped by Tawhai Falls, more popularly known as Gollum’s Pool. It was featured in the Lord of the Rings movie many years ago, but still visited by many tourists. I noticed that I can now tell Katie to go on a walk with me in the bush, and she happily agreed. So I’m hopeful to go on more walks with her in the future. On a stop at Waiouru, we ate at Cafe Express, a small Italian restaurant where I had probably the best Pasta Carbonara I’ve ever tasted. Pizza was good too–Patty approves!
Overall, it was a good weekend spent with friends. For someone whose least favourite season is winter, and doesn’t like snow, I quite enjoyed myself. Patty cannot stop talking about going up to the “snow mountain” and is asking when we can go back. So I guess this will become annual thing for us.
