So we found out last night that our battery wasn’t fully charged for the heater. 😱 It was a frosty night! Also unless our RV is plugged in the outlets and the microwave don’t work. It’s a learning curve for sure! We woke up seeing our breathe in the camper. So Ty started up the engine and we used the stove to help warm things up. I should also note we’re all pretty sick. R was in the ER with croup just days before we left. So now we’re all dealing with some form of a cold/cough. Not the best conditions to try and get everyone healthy.
But the morning was clear, cold, and beautiful. The camp host showed us the mini donkeys, chickens, sheep, turkeys, and even a possum.
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Then we packed up and headed to the glowworm caves. It was very neat! Unfortunately no photos were allowed inside. It was a short walk into the caves. The guide was informative about the caves and the glowworms. The tour ends with a silent boat ride in the dark. The guide pulls us along a roped path with hundreds of glowworms overhead.
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After the glowworm caves we drove to Otorohanga to get the battery on the RV checked. The battery performed perfectly for the mechanic of course. 🙄
We got back in the RV and headed for the Tongariro National Park. Home to Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings!
The kids have been listening to audiobooks on these long drives. It’s been working out well. They plug into my phone and use their headphones since the RV is quite rattly and loud.
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The National Park was beautiful and so cold!! We arrived about 4:30pm and it gets dark around 5 so we didn’t have much time to explore. But we managed one quick walk to a short falls. This was actually where they filmed the scene of Gollum eating the fish from the river! So neat to come across sights like this.
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We left there for a camp spot Ty found just outside the National Park. We got to stay in a field with horses and cows. The cows were hilariously friendly. They swarmed the camper and started licking the back of it. You could feel them moving the RV and it sounded funny inside. We cooked an easy meal and played some Uno before bed. We were all out by 7pm and hoped for the best with our heater. But to be safe we put the kids to bed in their warmest clothes.
