All the Way North: Our Family's 7 Week Road Trip of New Zealand

When you decide that you are going to travel 20 hours on a plane and go pretty much as far as you can with your two year old son it must be worth it.

Different from pretty much all the other trips we have done as a couple and a family of three, we had made some plans prior to arriving to New Zealand - perhaps this is a nod to responsible parenting or our desire to pack in as much as possible. One of our top destinations was to drive all the way up north; Cape Reinga, technically not the most northern point, but definitely the end of the road and where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea collide. It is a sacred place for the Maori people because this is where souls of people depart to the after life. 

Exploring new places is a big passion of mine, and being able to do this with my best friend and my son is so rewarding. The challenges are omnipresent, but one thing is for sure, the lows and highs are more real. 

Before departing we had a goal: spend as much time as we could outside. The tent will be our home for the next 7 weeks. 

We were in search of solitude, waves and epic views. 

Due southwest from Cape Reinga lay 90 miles of beach; an open highway of sand, wind and freedom camping. 

One fun thing to do always at the beach is search for mussels. The hikes at the northern end of beach lead into majestic views. You won't be disappointed. 

Sometimes it's hard to imagine how to do all the things that we use to do with our 2 year old son, but pushing our limits is what we like to do.