City girl Louise Richardson takes the family ‘camping’
When it comes to holidays I’m a bit of a big-city girl, but last summer we decided it was time to find somewhere quiet, laid-back and close to home. Port Waikato soon popped up on the internet and it turned out to be a true treasure, just 55 minutes south of Auckland.
ootoring down a couple of days after Christmas, we made it to the Port Waikato Holiday Park, where the greeting was warm and the accommodation extremely salubrious by camping standards. Having vowed 15 years ago never to grace the inside of a tent again, I usually insist on having solid walls and a roof at all times and our motel unit/bungalow fitted the bill nicely. Spotlessly clean and fresh, it had all the amenities we could possibly need for a family of six (including grandparents) planning to chill out and recover from the effects of the silly season.
our two kids William (10) and Issey (6) made friends within minutes of arriving and when we weren’t out fishing on the estuary or boogie boarding they stayed happily occupied in the playground, bouncing on the big jumping pillow with their new mates.
Sunset Beach was a favourite destination for the sea swimmers amongst us. It’s a bit of a wild spot with big waves but it’s patrolled in summer, and as long as you stay between the flags, it should be fine. The sand is black and gets very, very hot, so it’s not advisable to leave your jandals back at base – as I found to my cost!
on the other side of town lies the estuary where the Waikato River meets the sea. Here the kids cast their lines enthusiastically and were rewarded for their efforts with a pile of tiny mullet which we made a big fuss of cooking, despite the fact that each yielded only a single mouthful of flesh! Just after New Year’s Eve – a sedate but pleasant sort of evening with a few glasses of bubbly – came the biggest annual event in the community: The Port Waikato Bush Carnival.
We trooped down to the venue, not sure what to expect, and found a high- energy programme unfolding. Along with sack races and sheep rides, there were lolly scrambles, sausage sizzles and a very busy icecream vendor to help fill our stomachs. Later we were invited to a barbecue at the home of the ultra-hospitable holiday park owners, Colin and Christine. Here we indulged in oysters to die for while the kids ate their sausages double-quick in order to avoid the attentions of the family dog!
**Factfile
**Port Waikato is an easy drive from either Auckland (87km) or Hamilton (107km). Visit www.portwaikato.com and www.portwaikatoholidaypark.co.nz
