Shweebs, Mount Maunganui & Back to One of Our Favourite Beaches: A New Zealand Road Trip with Teens

There are worse ways to wake up than with Blue Lake right outside your cabin.

I opened the curtains, stepped out onto the deck with my morning coffee and just sat there for a while.

No rush. No traffic. Just the lake, the trees and that peaceful feeling you get when you're somewhere completely different from home. It was a pretty good start to another day in Aotearoa.

Eventually, the boys emerged from their beds and, before we packed up and left Blue Lake, we headed out for another walk through the woodland alongside the lake. I could quite happily have spent another day there. But the boys had made their decision the night before. Shweebs.

So it was time to head into Rotorua for their next adventure.

Time For Some Shweeb Racing

I'd been meaning to try some of the activities at Velocity Valley for a while. There are plenty of adrenaline-filled activities on offer, but when I gave the boys the choice between the Rotorua luge and gondola or trying something completely different, they were very clear about what they wanted.

Shweeb. So off we went.

Now, how do you actually describe a Shweeb?

It's basically cycling while lying down inside an enclosed pod that's suspended from a track.

Yes. Really. And the best bit for the boys was that they could race each other. Now the difference with the boys is that Albs is ultra competitive yet Arch is very aloof about it all and doesn’t care.

Once they were strapped into their pods and the race began, I have to admit it was brilliant to watch.

They were pedalling away above the track, trying to work out how to get the most speed from what initially looked like a very strange form of transport.

There was a lot of concentration.A bit of competitiveness obviously from Albs. And, inevitably, plenty of laughing.

Once they'd worked out how it all operated, they definitely looked like they were enjoying themselves.

The actual racing doesn't take that long, they do three laps, and then it's over. Which meant that almost as quickly as they'd started, they were back out again.

Both boys were pleased they'd tried it. And, actually, that's what mattered. They'd chosen the activity, they'd wanted to give it a go and they'd done it.

Another teenage holiday box ticked.

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From Rotorua To The Coast

After they'd recovered from their few minutes of racing, it was time to get back in the car. We were heading north towards Waihi Beach, where we'd be based for the next couple of nights. But I had a special stop planned on the way.

As we drove through the gorges towards the Bay of Plenty coastline, the weather was starting to change.

The clouds were clearing. The light was getting brighter. And the closer we got to the coast, the more it started to feel like a proper beach day.

We were also taking the scenic, and toll-free route.

I always try to avoid the toll roads when we're travelling around New Zealand. Not because the tolls are necessarily expensive, but because if there is a free alternative and we're not in a rush, I'd rather keep the money for something else.

And then we arrived at Mount Maunganui.

A Very Special Beach Stop

I wanted to show the boys Mount Maunganui for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's absolutely beautiful.

The beach is spectacular, there's plenty to explore and the whole area has that combination of coastline, outdoor space and things to do that I love.

But secondly, it holds a very personal memory for me.

It's the first place I ever surfed in New Zealand.

That was a very long time ago and I didn't realise at the time that the stretch of water I'd chosen has since become known as Shark Alley. And no, it's not called Shark Alley because of the sharks.

At least, not for the reason you're probably thinking!

The name relates to its location and the way the local geography and surf break work rather than being some sort of shark-infested stretch of ocean. Thankfully as of course there are an array of local sharks in these waters but rarely seen.

Main Beach, A Chai And A Massive Cookie

Despite it being a Saturday, we somehow managed to find a parking space fairly close to Main Beach.

And there was another little tradition to continue.

Whenever Craig and I are in this area, we always seem to end up at The Wave, the wave-shaped coffee and ice-cream wagon near one of the beach access points. So, naturally, we had to stop.

I grabbed a chai. Archie got a milkshake. And Albs?

A massive cookie. Because apparently that's an essential part of exploring New Zealand.

We took our drinks and cookie over towards the rocks at the entrance to Moturiki Island, also known as Leisure Island. And this is where I love travelling with the boys. We weren't there to tick off a list of attractions. We just explored. We wandered around the beach. Climbed over the rocks. Looked at the coastline. And, of course, it wouldn't really be a visit to the beach without getting in the water.

So we had a dip. There was also the obligatory searching for interesting shells and bits of driftwood.

Simple things I know yet they are the things that make a beach day for me.

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Seeing Mauao Again

As we started making our way back towards the car, I pointed out Mauao, the huge volcanic landmark that dominates Mount Maunganui. I'd seen it many times before, but there is something special about showing places that mean something to you to your children.

This wasn't just another beach stop on our road trip.

It was somewhere connected to my own history with New Zealand. And now the boys had their own memories of it too.

That's one of the things I love most about travelling.

Places change. You change. Your kids grow up.

And suddenly you're looking at somewhere you've visited before through completely different eyes.

Why I Love Mount Maunganui

Mount Maunganui ticks so many boxes for me.

There's the beach, obviously. There's the opportunity for swimming, surfing and exploring. There's Mauao.

There's plenty going on without it feeling completely overwhelming. And, for someone who isn't really a city person, it's probably one of the places I'd happily spend time in. It's busy enough to have life and energy, but there are still plenty of opportunities to find a quieter spot and breathe. It's that balance that appeals to me. But this time we weren't staying.

We were heading further north. Waihi Beach was calling.

Back To One Of Our Favourites

Our next stop was somewhere that already felt familiar. I'd booked us into Tasman Holiday Parks – Waihi Beach, somewhere Craig and I have stayed numerous times during previous trips to New Zealand. This time I'd booked an en-suite cabin, which gave us a little more space and our own kitchenette. And when we arrived, I couldn't believe how quiet it was. It was the quietest I'd ever seen the place.

After the busier atmosphere of Mount Maunganui, it felt like we'd suddenly slowed everything right down again. We checked in, unpacked the food and then the boys did what they'd apparently decided was now compulsory on this trip. We headed straight for the beach.

Back On Waihi Beach

The beach is literally across the road from the holiday park, so it would have been rude not to. We headed down for a late afternoon walk and a paddle. The tide was going out, but that didn't stop us.

Waihi Beach is another place that holds a special place for me.

It sits firmly in my top three North Island beaches.

I've surfed, swum and fished there. And every time I come back, I remember why it keeps drawing me in.

There is something about it that just works for me.

The long stretch of sand. The ocean. The space.

The feeling that you can actually switch off.

And after a busy day of travelling and adventures, it was exactly what we needed.

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Perfect Timing For The Pool

We made it back to the holiday park just as the light was beginning to fade. Which turned out to be perfect timing. Because now it was pool and hot tub time.And we had the whole thing to ourselves.

The boys jumped in, we made the most of the warm water and stayed there as the evening started to settle in around us. There is something particularly good about being in an outdoor hot tub when the light is disappearing. The cooler evening air, warm water and absolutely nowhere else we need to be.

Eventually, though, hunger won.

Another Homemade Dinner

Our en-suite studio had a small kitchenette with a microwave and stovetop, so once again there was no need to eat out. We cooked our own dinner, kept things simple and made the most of having food with us. This has been one of the biggest things that makes travelling around New Zealand work for us.

Having somewhere with even a basic kitchen means we can keep costs down, eat when we want and avoid having to find a restaurant every night.

With two boys who seem to be permanently hungry, that's important!

After dinner, I played a few card games with Albs while Archie chilled out. Then we all settled down to watch a film from the cabin.

The room had a double bed and bunk beds, which the boys seemed to love. No complaints.

Always a good thing.

A Place That Feels Familiar

There are some places you visit once and move on from. And there are others that somehow stick with you. Waihi Beach is one of those places for both me and Craig. We've returned numerous times over the years, and I think part of the appeal is that it feels familiar without ever feeling boring. The beach is right there. There's space. There's nature. There's enough to do when you want to explore, but equally you can do very little at all. And I think that's why it appeals to both of us.

It feels like the sort of place where you can actually be somewhere rather than constantly feeling like you need to be doing something. Which, after a busy few weeks travelling with two teenagers, wasn’t a bad thing.

One Adventure Leads To Another

And so another day of our New Zealand road trip came to an end. We'd started with coffee overlooking Blue Lake. Walked through the woodland. Watched the boys race each other around the Shweeb track.

Driven through the gorges towards the coast.

Stopped at Mount Maunganui and introduced them to a place that has been part of my own New Zealand story for years. Had a beach swim, explored Moturiki Island and eaten a very large cookie.

Then we'd continued north to Waihi Beach, squeezed in another beach walk and paddle, had the pool and hot tub to ourselves and finished the day with homemade food, cards and a film. Another full day.

But not one that felt rushed. And that's probably what I'm enjoying most about this road trip. We're moving on. We're seeing new places. We're revisiting old favourites. But we're still leaving enough space to stop when somewhere catches our attention.

Tomorrow, we'd have a full day around Waihi Beach and that area of the lower Coromandel, and after another good night's sleep, it was time to see what else this part of the North Island had in store for this trip.