K¯apiti campground a city escape
Cathal O’Mahony, Denise Meehan and Sally Meehan O’Mahony are enjoying their camping holiday.
VIRGINIA FALLON/STUFF It’s the great, half-hour migration – a little bit different, a little bit the same and it won’t upset the kids.
As the capital city empties out for the holiday period, many of its residents pour into its northern neighbour, the Ka¯ piti Coast, for a few days’ respite.
The short drive, the beach and family-friendly activities are what appealed to Denise Meehan at Paeka¯ ka¯ riki Holiday Park yesterday, as the country counted down to the end of the year.
‘‘We even get fireworks on New Year’s Eve.’’
Meehan said she and partner Cathal O’Mahony were camping converts before daughter Sally was born and it was the perfect way to holiday with children.
‘‘You don’t have to drive very far so it’s easier for small children, it’s cheaper than anything else and there’s lots of other families.’’
It was the second year in a row the Wellington couple had camped at Paeka¯ka¯riki. This year O’Mahony’s mother had joined them from Switzerland.
‘‘She’s in a cabin though. We felt we couldn’t expect her to come all this way and stay in a tent.’’
While camp rules meant no excess noise after 9pm, New Year’s Eve was an exception, she said. ‘‘They do put on fireworks and after that everyone races off to bed.’’
First-time Paeka¯ ka¯ riki camper Rob Boyd said his New Year’s Eve would be a quiet affair. ‘‘You lie down next to the kids to get them to sleep and then you’re asleep too.’’
Like Meehan, Boyd said the attraction of camping in Paeka¯ ka¯ riki was being close to home and surrounded by other families. ‘‘Today we’ve come down to feed the eels and before you know it you’ve made new friends. The kids get to run around like we used to. It’s healthy for them.’’
Wellington man Jon Burke said his family were regulars at the camping ground and would continue to return.
‘‘It’s a good way to get out of the city and let the kids get dirty.’’
Among the Wellingtonians’ tents, the Basner family from Germany had parked up the campervan.
Julia Basner had toured New Zealand as a teenager and was keen to take her children around the country. ‘‘Germany does fireworks, we’ve heard New Zealand does too.’’