Throwing up remedies for car sickness

Don't miss Adam Green and Megan Banks on The Hits Hawke's Bay from 6am to 9am, Monday to Friday

Many years ago a dear friend of mine saved my life and my car with the best little tip for when you’re feeling car sick. I was moving islands, and this was the last catch-up with my friend before I drove all the way from North Canterbury to Wellington.

We had a night in at her place because they had a spa pool. So we celebrated the bubbles in the pool with the bubbles in a glass and had the best time catching up.

The next morning I had to be up superearly to drive all the way to Picton to catch the ferry. Well, to say I was unwell was putting it mildly.

I’ve never been so sick in all my life, which I blame on the dehydrating properties of the spa pool of course, not the wine.

But knowing I had a big trip on my hands and no time to stop for spew breaks, Amy made me up a wee icecream container lined with a plastic bag. Best little invention ever and one I still use to this day!

On a recent trip to Wellington with the kids, I dutifully lined the container and even had a wet flannel as well, gosh I’m finally nailing this mum thing, I thought.

Then 10 minutes into the journey, at around Fernhill the calls for us to “pull over” came from the back seat. Finally, after six long hours of a few stops, a few vomits in the container, and a lot of moaning and groaning, the whole family’s ordeal came to an end as we made it to Wellington.

For the trip back I asked our online social media audience what they did for car sickness.

What a huge response. And here are their top five tips; suck mints, sit in the front seat, sit on newspaper, hold a lemon, eat a bag of chips!

Sit on newspaper? How does that work? So while we didn’t have access to a lemon or Hawke’s Bay Today, we did do chewing gum, a bag of chicken chips, the window down and sitting in the front seat.

You’ll be pleased to know we sailed over the Remutaka Range with not a “Mum we need to stop” in sight.

I was driving, so it was very pleasant indeed.

My poor husband, though, had to suffer for five hours in the back seat and used the container more than Mac did!