Day 3: Escaping New Zealand and Melting in Bali

Today was a big day.
After two fun-filled days in Auckland, it was finally time to leave New Zealand and head to Bali.
The morning began with one of the greatest discoveries of the entire trip so far: the Koru Club.

The children absolutely loved it.

Being allowed to simply walk up and help themselves to food whenever they wanted felt like they had accidentally discovered heaven. There were snacks. There were drinks. There were more snacks. Then, just when they thought they'd seen everything, there were different snacks.

The excitement levels were extremely high.

Eventually it was time to board the plane, and we settled in for our flight. Unfortunately, shortly after boarding, we discovered there would be a delay. Not the convenient kind where you wait comfortably in the airport. No, this was the special kind where everyone was already strapped into their seats on the plane.

For about an hour.

Remarkably, the kids handled it brilliantly. There was no fighting, no complaining, and no major meltdowns.

Well... almost.

Jai appeared to develop a temporary condition caused by unlimited access to a screen directly in front of his face. It seemed to affect his ability to know what he wanted.

He wanted snacks.

Then he didn't want snacks.

He wanted a blanket.

Then he didn't want a blanket.

He wanted something.

Then he wanted absolutely nothing.

Then he urgently wanted to pee and there was always a queue.

It was a lot.

Fortunately, Mum made the tactical decision to swap seats with Dad, who calmly took over Jai management duties for the rest of the flight and did an excellent job navigating the ever-changing demands of his tiny passenger.

When we finally arrived in Bali, the children were immediately fascinated by the traffic.
Everywhere they looked there were motorbikes.

Motorbikes carrying people.

Motorbikes carrying luggage.

Motorbikes carrying children.

Motorbikes carrying what appeared to be entire households.

The kids couldn't stop laughing as they watched little children hanging on behind their parents, suitcases strapped to the sides, and scooters weaving effortlessly through traffic in ways that would probably give New Zealand drivers heart palpitations.

After arriving at our accommodation, Jai fell asleep in the car. He remained asleep while being carried inside and continued sleeping on a couch in reception while we checked in.
It was one of those rare parenting moments when a sleeping child can apparently be transported like a sack of potatoes without waking up.
Once we reached our room, Jai was transferred into bed while the other kids immediately launched themselves into the pool (let is be known it was midnight New Zealand time at this stage, and they still had smiles on their faces).

The reason became obvious very quickly.

The heat.

Nobody had been prepared for this level of humidity. We discovered that humans can sweat from places we didn't even know could sweat. Behind the knees was a particularly shocking discovery.
At one point, Millie's pants were so wet from perspiration that they looked as though she had been caught in a rainstorm.

Several children briefly suggested that perhaps Wellington wasn't actually that cold after all and maybe the cool weather back home had some advantages.
Despite the heat, everyone enjoyed their first few hours in Bali.
The kids are now tucked into bed, exhausted from a big day of travelling, swimming, and discovering entirely new climates.
Meanwhile, Mum and Dad are preparing to enjoy a well-earned swim of their own.

Trip Statistics

- Koru Club snacks consumed: Approximately 4,000
- Flight delays endured: 1
- Children who behaved brilliantly on the flight: 4
- Temporary cases of screen-induced confusion: 1
- Motorbikes spotted: Too many to count
- Sleeping children successfully transported: 1
- Pools jumped into immediately upon arrival: 1
- New body parts discovered to be capable of sweating: Several
- Times Wellington weather suddenly seemed appealing: At least 3
- Family adventures completed: CountlessRead more