I have wonderful childhood memories of holidays, weekends and even daily outings on our boat - particularly to water ski. Mum would pack the chilly bins with lots of different snacks and off we would go to Lake Karapiro, or to Horotiu or Ngaruawahia. Having a river at your finger tips is another bonus of why I love who I am.
My sister and brother were always the first to jump in the water and ski for kilometers at a time. As the younger sibling I would sit and watch them as they crossed from one side of the wake to the other, try different tricks and most importantly try to out do each other. If we were bored on the boat, my dad would simply drop us off at the nearest ski ramp. We would bomb and dive all day long, with dad and the boat returning every now and then to collect us for our turn to ski, or to have something to eat at the nearest vacant shore line.
During the xmas break, my childhood memories on the boat turn to daily trips out in the glassy waters of the Bay of Islands, where we would travel to Rawhiti and spend our entire break camping with some of my Snowden whanau. Fishing, diving or just travelling to Russell every so often to visit and/or collect some essential supplies.
Later in life, my fishing and diving experiences on the boat turned to Raglan when my grandparents moved there, and then to the Coromandel where we travel more often now.
I'm extremely grateful for all the hard work my parents put into ensuring they provided the best they could for myself and my siblings and in doing so have created some loving, positive memories and lessons in return. Lessons and values we can take and pass on to our own children.
We have our own boat now, and although it's only been a year, I know my daughters are enjoying it. I know I am!! This wonderful weather we are experiencing sure is helping us make some easy choices of spending quality time together with my whanau and friends on the boat.
Have a great day people!!
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