August ski weekend

August 2019, by Gini

The weather up on Mt Ruapehu was just coming to the end of a 3 week epic storm with a 2.4m base to show for it. We hoped we would get a little snow action over a weekend.

 

Leaving on a Thursday after school (trying to pick the best time that suits 3 different ages is never easy!) we arrived around 8pm and bedtime didn’t come until 10.30pm so let’s not do that again! (as we had 3 sleeping in the last hour to Ohakune).

 

We clearly liked punishing ourselves because we booked a private lesson at 9am for the 3 girls (Olive, Iris and cousin Milla). While kids running wild way past their bedtime, Graham and Tom were trying to figure out car chains (just incase they were needed) and wishing we had watched Dad all those times growing up, I have a new appreciation for all these things now I’m a parent.

 

We were out of the house at 7.30am (that doesn’t even happen on a school day – oh wait it was a school day) and in the top carpark by 8am – Doesn’t that make you proud Dad?!

 

This was our first experience of ‘skiing with kids’ it went pretty smoothly getting boots and skis, Milla and Olive were super keen to get going with the instructor – Iris was not. So I went along for encouragement and basically helped her while the other 2 got a lesson. But at the end of the 2 hours, they had gone up the pommas a number of times, Milla managing to stay on well, Olive falling most times but laughing so a win win. Iris and I just practiced together and she caught the pomma a few times before finishing with ‘floppy leg syndrome. It gave me the confidence to give teaching them a go next time, but Olive is a lot stronger physically than Iris and that has a lot to do with it too. All in all, I think it went really well. Olive is keen for more!

 

We had some lunch, everyone enjoyed some sledging and we finished the kids day with each of them going up on the Parklane chairlift. (I wear I was never going to let my babies on one of those things) They loved it.

 

Juni’s nap approached so Tom took one for the team and took the kids back to Ohakune for a lazy afternoon, while Graham taught Milla for a little bit longer, Archie played in the snow. Lisa managed 2 lessons, so by 1.30 Lisa was off on a lesson and I was skiing alone for the first time – ever?! It was very cold, windy but sunny and with no queues, I quickly warmed up after the first run, it was great. 2.5 hours of skiing for mummy.

 

The next day, the mountain was a white out so we didn’t bother, but instead hit the carrot park and Cypress tree café. There was a ‘bacon buttie’ incident which will go down in history (and possibly has scarred the owner) with the wrong bacon sandwich arriving for Iris and then Olive followed suit. All was sorted by the lovely owner, but the tired, hangry kids were starting to show their cracks.

 

We had a lovely 3 nights, 2 days with the Turner whanau with great cousin action. Archie and Juni’s friendship is adorable. Next year maybe for those two!