Our first Fat Loss Project Family Fun Cardio Day - Hike to Cathedral Cove

We started with a brainstorm session this morning just after breakfast about family fun cardio things to do. They were not too enthused at first and suggested McD's, or KFC knowing this would needle me (as we never eat that rubbish anyway!). Then we got “walk to park” and the ball started rolling. We had a good list when suddenly my husband leapt up and announced, get in the car, we're going to Cathedral Cove now. So we went with the moment and I packed up enough food for morning and afternoon tea and lunch, for me and them. And lots of water, all of which we had to carry down the hill though the bush (and what was left, carry it back up again).

The Cove is a lovely place, it was used as a location in the Narnia movie Prince Caspian and several other movies and is famous for it's Cathedral like Cove through which you walk to yet another white sand beach. The whole coast there is a marine reserve, so apparently the snorkling is great (too cold to find out in September/Spring!)

There were people there from all over the world, who had sought out the place and been game to do the walk. I was chatting to a German tourist who had travelled all over the world and he said NZ was the most beautiful country he had seen, and the people were the friendliest, it is so clean here he said. This guy had toured a lot of Europe and he still said that, so what a great ad for New Zealand.

The loos (toilets/bathrooms) were awesome, like a treehouse just back from the beach with windows up high enough that those on the beach could not see in, but those "on the job" get a "loo with a view" out the window through the ancient pohutakawa trees to the blue sea. Amazing! Did not want to leave the loo!

The kids did well getting back up the hill. We have had them in training somewhat with walking to and from school (up hills) and walking to Thames (hills..) and on Sunday we had started walking to the park or cafe.

Then we drove to another beach (which will remain nameless) in protection of it’s shellfish treasures and we walked out to collect shellfish (pipis and cockles). It's a ten minute walk out fairly slowly as you have to pick a safe path between the very sharp shells and the sand in your barefeet. Ten minutes out plus 10 minutes back carrying the now half full bucket.

It's a 1.5 hour drive each way over scenic but windy hilly roads from where we live in Thames, which is also on the Coromandel Peninsula, but on the other side.

So we had a great day! And now we have lots more planned too! It was great to do things that did not revolve around food.

I’ll pop another post in soon listing all the activities we came up with so far to help give you ideas, but getting them involved with the decision was really great, it was our first family brainstorm too!


Below is a picture of a pohutakawa tree in flower (on Waiheke Island) that I found on the internet. They flower at Christmas. Nice to share some of New Zealand with you all.