In October we get a bank holiday type day on the last weekend. We always hope for a corker of a day but you don't always get it. This year we came up trumps and perfect for us we had planned a trip to the beach.

My husband took the girls out for an afternoon at the farm. The weather took a turn for the worst and whilst others stood there frozen and wet Mathilda and Isabel kitted out in their Spotty Otter coats didn't even notice the sun had gone and the water was falling.

.......... in what could not be described as a more perfect place!! :O)

Another day another mountain! Our season pass was for Treble Cone but we couldn't resist a couple of days at another local ski field Cardrona. It’s very family friendly with regards to its much gentler runs.

Treble Cone is in fact not an ice cream but a ski resort, well perhaps that’s pushing it, but a ski mountain in Otago, New Zealand. It’s a commercial field but compared to resorts of Europe and the States its pretty low key.

The girls have a love hate relationship with groomers and scrapers. They are fascinated by them and whilst not moving can't get enough of them. When they turn on the engine its a different matter!

Who ever knew that fords could create such excitement....and hilarity!!

On another of our days off from skiing we took the bikes and headed off on one of the zillion bike trails in the area. Being a "day off" and also a bit of an up and down type trail both girls opted for the trailer meaning quite a work out for Mum and Dad.

If you happen to be planning a holiday to New Zealand and you like any kind of adventure in the outdoors. You really really really can not leave without visiting Wanaka in Central Otago and you really need to give yourselves a decent amount of time to explore here too.

Whilst on our recent trip south, we took some days out from skiing to rest! Ha ha!! Well rest from skiing but not from doing a hive of other activities. We had tossed the idea of going ice skating around for a while but kept deciding the girls were too young.

After three long days travelling we hit the slopes but lets get our priorities right. You can't have snow without a snowman!

Wow, it feels like so long since I wrote a blog! We have been on a big adventure to the Southern Alps of New Zealand. There was no internet connection so I couldn't write as we went so we have many stories to tell. I thought I would start right at the very beginning with how we got there and some of the things that worked for me on such a long road trip.

Our neighbours came home the other weekend to find us having a family meeting in one of our big trees at the front of our house. The girls love playing outdoors so much and although we don't have a big garden we have been trying to make it as user friendly as possible at each age that the girls reach.

We received our first bag of goodies this week - thank you very much!.... and once the excitement of new shoes was over the next major decision was what to do with some great Spotty Otter stickers that came with it.

Isabel has been asking me over and over can she ride the little 12 inch green bike we had lent to a friend. You may have read previous blogs of mine about numerous biking trips we do and seen some pictures of little Isabel pushing away on her wooden balance bike trying to keep up with everyone else with their pedals!

Who ever said you actually need snow to go on a ski expedition?? Mathilda is so totally obsessed with skiing she's been going all summer to the indoor slope about half an hour away from where we live.

We were out of petrol and had to head for the closest place possible. When we got there we found the garage had burnt down 2 months ago! Not helpful but we found a beautiful place instead! The lake was just so serene.

We live right opposite a beautiful island, Rangitoto. It is a dormant volcano from about 600 years ago I think. It’s the first time I have taken the girls over there but with this absolutely fantastic autumn weather we are having and the Easter holidays it just kept enticing me over.

We took the girls to a conservation cabin this weekend to do a spot of mountain biking. The website suggested it might be an adventure for 12/13 year olds but we thought we would see how Mathilda went on her bike and if necessary hide it behind a bush and pick it up on the way back.

Mathilda is so happy to cycle along for such great distances that we thought we would do the second part of a path we had done earlier in the summer. Isabel is not so happy these days to sit in the trailer so it was slow going for parts as she tootled away on her balance bike.

Continuing on with our recent adventures we took another hike slightly north from Auckland up at Whangarei Heads.

It's funny how a book or a conversation can steer an entire days play in a direction you never saw coming!.......from somewhere we began building a mast and pretending we were on a boat....this was before breakfast....

We've had so many adventures in the last few months I can hardly remember which I've written about and which I haven't?!.........

Wow, Auckland really celebrates the Chinese New Year with a huge festival.

It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it! We decided having done lots of day hikes to give it a go and try an overnight stay in a department of conservation hut. The girls were so excited. Mathilda at 4 walked the 9.3km to the hut and the 9.3km out again. At 2.5 Isabel walked about 2km in and a staggering 5km out!!

The Coromandel Pinnacles, Coromandel, New Zealand. From bottom to top its 760m and approx 7.5 km. Well with these shoes our little girl can acheive anything she sets her mind to.

Wow these little feet have really got going. Another 10 km.... a fab surf beach to finish off with a dip at the end and some lovely views along the way. If you happen to end up in this part of the world and do this walk....

Whilst on a camping trip over the christmas holidays, we stayed in a place called Te Aroha....maori for love.

On one of our days out these holidays we were having great fun at the beach searching rock pools, climbing boulders, collecting shells but when it came to lunch the wind was going to coat everything with a crunchy layer so we resorted to camping out in the boot of the car.

We just wanted to say a big thank you for the opportunity to tell everyone about our outdoor adventures

Whilst everyone out there seems to be enjoying winter fun for christmas, we in New Zealand are in the middle of summer and in full camping season. We do everything all at once, main school holidays plus christmas, it makes for a very very mad time when trying to attend end of term events, organise Christmas here and presents to be sent over seas and also organising a camping trip/holiday.

Whilst at the mountain recently we had a day when the weather closed in and everything was shut. Luckily for us the backpackers we were staying in had a climbing wall (National Park Backpackers) and little harnesses that even our 2 year old could wear.

If it's pouring with rain and you just don't feel like going out today.....bring the mountains to the bedroom.

My little girls just love being outdoors. We've been doing a lot of renovating recently and they've been a bit confined to inside the house for a while as the garden hasn't really been safe. Hmmmm, yes especially since the younger ones second birthday which she spent most of in hospital after falling down a hole and impacting two of her teeth and cutting her lip - nice! (the hole has now gone I'd like to add!)

My kids just love bottle feeding lambs. It’s just as well they don't really understand why these little ones need milk from us as I think they would be most upset. Last year whilst on holiday in Christchurch some neighbours let us feed their 4 lambs and since then Mathilda just wants it to be spring all the time!

I'm not a zoo person. I don't like the idea of animals in captivity but then we moved to New Zealand and I went to Auckland Zoo. They are part of so many different conservation efforts and at the zoo itself the animals’ homes are so well thought out, green or brown if you're the hippo!

Well, we've been having adventures left right and centre but best of all we've been going skiing at Mount Ruapehu in the Central North Island, New Zealand. This year we've had a great snowfall although it was a little late coming and now it’s just fun and games. I am so glad we found the Little Trekkers’ website and the Spotty Otter clothing range.

Why was I told not to go here?? They said, its a bit run down, its a bit rough..I don't know what there is to do there!?? Hmmmm....I had done some research... Mathilda wanted to go on a train.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane is awesome fun for kids and adults. I went there in 2003 before children as my mother and grandmother had visited there many many moons ago and I had always seen this picture of my mum holding a koala and so wanted to do the same thing.

Where can you find a beach with a swimming lagoon next to a river in the middle of a city?? .......... Brisbane, Australia. My husband is working in Brisbane for a few months so the girls and I took a trip to see Daddy for a couple of weeks.

It was Izzy's birthday so a day out was definitly in order so we set off for one of our favourite spots - Piha Beach near Auckland. The sun was out but being winter here it can still be a bit nippy.

After far too much renovating we decided we were in need of a good day out. Since then we've done so many I've hardly had anytime to write a blog. Omana Regional Park, Auckland. We had a great little picnic lunch with the girls up and down keeping the resident chickens away from our freshly baked cheese scones!

The winter is setting in here in New Zealand but with our Spotty Otter gear we can go anywhere in any weather. We recently took an afternoon trip over to the Waitakere Mountains for a walk with the girls. They are really close to Auckland so easy to get to for a day trip, an afternoon trip or with plenty of trails you can create many overnight expeditions too.

Whilst on a camping trip around the east side of the North Island of New Zealand, we took a bicycle tour with the girls. Some friends had previously done the same and told of how beautiful the countryside was as the pathways weave around vineyards and orchards, along the side of the ocean and by the banks of various rivers. It sounded perfect for us so off we went.

What a lovely day trip! We took a trip with our German friends from their house near Munich to Kloster Andech, a place famous for its Benedictine monastery and also its beer! The girls first of all loved the train ride (or the S bahn as it’s called in Germany) where we got off at the village of Herrsching.

Another trip we did whilst back in the UK was to Aberdaron in North Wales. Its right on the tip of the peninsula and a lovely little seaside village I have been going to with my parents since I was in nappies. I'm not sure I should be telling you all about it as it’s so lovely there we don't want everyone going!!

I recently took a trip back to the UK with the girls to see all their family. My Mum took us away in her caravan to Silverdale. Mathilda was so excited to be camping with Grannie and in style too compared to our tent!

We took a trip to Kuala Lumpur recently when Daddy had to go there with work. It's amazing how adaptable children can be! The children, with blonde hair and blue eyes were the constant centre of attention but they took it in their stride giving everyone lots of smiles.

The summer holiday has been full of exciting adventures: climbing to lighthouses, visiting seal colonies on the New Zealand coast, biking trips and picnics in fields of spiders but today in the tent, everyone woke with a sense of anticipation. We organised breakfast, packed a picnic lunch and we were off. Wow! I wish it really was that quick! Mathilda, the intrepid adventurer at 3 years old on foot and Isabel, 18 months high on Daddy's shoulders with the best view.