Remember the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation” with Chevy Chase?  They drove days and days to get to the famed Wallyworld for their big yearly vacation.   They traveled through bad weather, survived car trouble and even Aunt Edna’s death, only to find that Wallyworld was closed – and a big disappointment.

Here is our NZ equivalent of Wallyworld:  Wiggs was so excited to go to the well advertised Hot Spring Pools and Waterslides.  The brochure pictures kids having fun on water bumper cars and big slides.

We drove hours in pitch blackness through country roads, all night long.  Drew wanted Wiggs to wake up to this wonderland of fun, so we free-camped in a turnout across the road with a plan that when the gates opened, we’d be ready.  And when the sun came up – well, we found [Read more...]