Out with the bikes...

and in with the scooter! We bought a scooter for the boys to play with and they fought over it to go down the drive so we quickly bought two others. The rest is history. They cannot get enough of it and we can now go for long walks, its great. All we have to do is find locations which are 'scooter' friendly and they will go for miles!

Alex's 8th Birthday 2

On arrival we completed Tom and Ollie's treasure hunt which was a great success although Tom found a few things before everyone else!? Alex asked for a 'castle' cake and Fran did not let him down, it was magnificent! Sharing it around proved problematic as every child wanted a tower but the portions they got soon helped them recover! We ended the day with a water bomb battle! Children faced each other in pairs and had a great time missing each other! Although when they finally turned on me, their aims seemed to improve! The boy holding the water bomb is Jackson who is currently Alex's 'best mate' but Alex found some great friends at the end of last year, Cameron and Jack, and he has continued being friends with them which is fantastic

Alex's 8th Birthday

A very excited Alex was up very early but not as early as mummy who shot off to the supermarket to get some bits and pieces! As soon as mummy was back it was time to open some GI Joe presents and speak to Nanna at the same time on skype! After opening presents and cards, thank you to everyone for all your thoughts and gifts, it was time for a quick play with the new toys before the party started.

Tom and Ollie wanted to prepare a treasure hunt for Alex's party. They hid their toys around the house and took close-up photos. For example, kiwi in an ambulance!

Alex was desperate to have a laserforce party and his dream came true! In fact, Colm's did too who was a dad helping! We all had an awesome time and the children were destroyed by the dad's taking it way too seriously! We celebrated with a drink afterwards and analyzing our statistics at the end.

Luge, Huka Falls jet and Helicopter Cafe

One of the highlights of Rotorua is definitely the luge. Racing down a track in a deathtrap is very exciting and the views are spectacular. We had to have at least a couple of coffees and cakes to enjoy the view! Ollie and Poppy eventually ended up as champs of the luge as Tom insisted on going on scenic viewing speed and Alex was determined to drive by himself which led to weaving side to side lots.

The huka falls jet ride was awesome. It included 360 spins and a very funny driver. We all thought it would snap our backs as it spun round but it was fine. The control of the jet meant that we got very close to things and that was very cool. Going through tunnels of weeds and skimming over stuff at a ridiculous speed is, as Tom described, alright.

After the thrill of the jet we needed coffee and as we are in NZ this particularly cafe had a huge helicopter which was a tv room.

Paradise Valley Springs pt 2

The boys were upset that their was only one window in this aquarium but the trout were huge! The wallabies were great although they were a little slow as the ducks muscled them out of their food. It was amazing as you could literally touch the lions who were laid against the wire maybe a little too close! The whole trip was fantastic as it was so beautifully laid out and in the whole two hours we walked the boys didn't complain once!

Paradise Valley Springs

There is plenty to choose from in Rotorua but we went for Paradise Valley Springs as it had lots of animals including lions! The springs were amazing and there was trout in every spring we came across. Alex loved tasting the springs and Ollie was impressed by the short tree top walk. Tom loved the fact that he had food to share with the animals although he was very tight with his helpings, the animals Ollie fed were much happier!

The Black Bach, Okere Falls

For our second visit to Rotorua we stayed on the other side of the lake where there is another ten lakes or so. We stayed by a lake which was North and was a little way out but beautiful. The bach was great with separate 'cottage' for Nanna and Poppy. The boys loved the old trampoline although they came off blacker than black. There was a two minute walkway to the lake which took you to the house mooring. The boys enjoyed trying to find the right one by running up and down each one looking for the right number. Rotorua is famous for its thermals and in the distance of the top photo you can see the steam coming off one. The pictures say it all but it was a truly breathtaking place.