Travelling With Kids – Micro Adventures

Travelling doesn’t have to mean long overseas trips

Before kids my wife and I loved to travel. We still do but when the pitter-patter of little feet entered our life it changed things.

Spare time became a scarce resource and the logistical jigsaw puzzle was ratcheted up a notch.

Before our boys, we enjoyed going off the beaten path. Our sense of adventure carried us through Africa and the Americas.

Whilst the adventurous spirit has not dimmed, extensive travel has taken a back seat in the last few years.

When the boys are older we dream of BIG adventures as a family – Europe, Asia and Africa. But for now, we are content with waiting and doing what we can locally.

To satisfy our appetite we have taken to enjoying micro trips with the boys.

Little excursions closer to home to ‘prime the pump’ so to speak. Getting the boys ready and keeping us sharp for the bigger adventures in the years to come.

Two notable micro adventurers from 2023 have been:

1. Boat camping on Lake Tarawera before we left New Zealand and;

2. An overnight hike in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Australia

Both adventures had their own challenges that could have ruined the experiences. However, on both occasions, my boys ‘embraced the suck’ and surprised me with their resilience.

Thunderstorm

In April the boys and I borrowed the neighbour’s boat and loaded up our camping gear. We set off for Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island.

We planned to spend one night at a campsite on Lake Tarawera – Hot Water Beach. It is only accessible by boat or a very long hike.

With two boys under six, I figured the boat was a better option.

As we approached Rotorua the skies began to turn dark. Large cumulonimbus clouds towered overhead – a thunderstorm was brewing.

I was anxious now. “What if it rains and the boys get all wet and cold?”

“Will they want to go straight home?”

We got the boat on the water and loaded her up. I quickly got us underway as I wanted to get to camp before the rain hit.

As we sped across the lake I could see the rain behind us. It was approaching like a wall and looked quite surreal. “Maybe we can outrun it?”

Not a chance, it hit us about halfway to camp. It was torrential.

I pulled the throttle back as the huge drops hurt as they hit our faces. I looked across at my boys terrified they would be about to burst into tears. This was quite miserable.

They were smiling and now they were laughing! They were loving it. “YES, we were adventuring!” I yelled out into the storm “YEEEHAAA!”

My boys thought that too was hilarious and my spirit soared.

By the time we made it to the campsite, the rain had passed. Thanks to the tarpaulin I had covered our gear with it was mostly dry.

We set up camp and despite the tricky start we enjoyed an amazing night out in the wilderness. The boys and I loved the whole experience.

We returned home the next day with huge smiles and tales to tell.

Heat Wave

In December the boys, my brother and I enjoyed another of our micro adventures on Australia’s Sunshine Coast.

We grabbed our hiking gear and headed for a trail on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk.

They boys were excited! My brother and I were excited!

It just so happened though that we were in the middle of a heatwave. Temps were topping 36 degrees celsius and the humidity was unbearable. I did think beforehand, “How are the boys going to cope with this?”

We made sure we were well prepared and I thought “Well, let’s just give this a go.”

We set off with a sense of adventure and a can do attitude and I was a nagging dad making the boys drink regularly. I wanted to keep them well hydrated.

The hike was tough because of the heat and the complaints became plentiful. There was the obligatory “Daaad, are we there yet?” Also, “Daaad why do you keep making us drink water?” and “It’s too hot Daaad!”

Despite the vocalisations the boys were troupers and we made camp in good time.

The boys helped with the tents this time! There is a first for everything and I allowed myself a proud dad moment.

After some food and many rounds of card games we hit the sack. Sleeping in that humidity wasn’t pleasant.

However, the night out in the bush was great for the soul and good character building. Another amazing memory for the boys and myself.

It was all topped off the next morning with both boys telling me – “We love camping Dad!”

That warmed my heart and energised me for our next micro adventure!

Our micro trips have helped to keep the travel spark alive for us and help foster a love for adventure in our boys.

Micro trips, I believe, can be a great strategy for parents with young kids who want to keep enjoying travel and adventure.

Travel doesn’t have to be long overseas trips. There is so much to discover closer to home.

Often us ‘travellers’ miss out on the best things on our own doorstep because our sense of adventure carries us further afield.

Safe travels, happy adventures and thank you for reading.