Tramping with children ‘not as hard as it seems’
When Sonia Barrish was pregnant with her first child, people told her she could say goodbye to her passion for tramping.
But she didn’t let it stop her and her husband, Menzo, doing a four-day hike with their 1-year-old.
By the time she was expecting baby number two, people still fed her the line that getting out in the wild was “not going to happen”.
The couple then completed New Zealand’s longest Great Walk, the Heaphy Track, with two young ones in tow.
While she prepared for her third child, friends and family were more optimistic.
“I’m interested to see how it’s going to go,” they would say.
Despite a traumatic post-birth in which Sonia lost two litres of blood, baby Ezra was on his first overnight trip at five weeks old, with the family staying in a hut on Banks Peninsula.
“He slept better than usual... something about the fresh air makes them sleep better,” said Sonia.
The family, based in North Canterbury’s Kaiapoi, are successfully exploring the country by foot with their children, Bethany, 7, Jordan, 3, and Ezra, now 7 weeks which has prompted Sonia to share her experiences online, create a range of baby-safe skincare and self-publish two children’s books.
Her love of exploring led Barrish to create a blog about her journeys and how to do it with children, followed by writing children’s books aimed at 5 to 12-year-olds getting into the great outdoors with their parents or caregivers. The books, My Overnight Adventure Journal The North Island and My Overnight Adventure Journal The South Island, document 24 huts to visit with activities and spaces to fill in. They include information on native flora and fauna on the walks, hidden tracks to swimming holes, and tidbits for adults, including walk times and where to park.
“It’s so the kids can feel in control; when they feel in control it’s more fun for them.”
Barrish said she’s loved tramping since she got into it with friends during university, and having children hasn’t curbed the urge. One of her most recent outings was a 1km walk and Menzo had to carry Jordan “a little bit” because he was getting emotional, Barrish said. But that’s a walk in the park compared to the thousands of kilometres – and counting – the family have stacked up around the country.
When she was 28 weeks’ pregnant with Ezra in October, Bethany toddled by her side on the popular Heaphy Track, while Jordan rode her belly. “I carried the 3-yearold on my bump,” she said.
The 78km Great Walk, estimated to take between four to six days by the Department of Conservation, was achieved in five days. “I did feel pretty shattered by the end of each day.”
People assumed that wrangling three children with her husband in the great outdoors “must be hard”, but the hardest part was “getting them all packed into the car”, Barrish said.
“It’s actually easy, because you don’t have all the normal distractions. The house isn’t getting messy, you’ve already sorted out what you’re going to be eating on the trip ... and dishes are easier because it’s pretty much your only job.
“You’re present and in the moment, which is hard to do with phones,” she said.