Weekend adventures with Kirsten Reid & crew
Ok so some of us (*most of us) can't live a life of wanderlust and adventure all the time so surely the next best thing is the ultimate weekend adventure right? But how many of you think about it and then think it's all too hard and not worth it for only 2 days?
You're not alone (hey I've got 2 kids under 5 and a trip to the supermarket is hard enough sometimes, never mind hours in the car or more than 1 bag to pack) but my girl Kirsten Reid is the queen when it comes to weekends away so I wanted to get the low down on how to make these weekend adventures a regular thing for all of us!
You can follow this gorgeous mama and all her inspiration and pearls of wisdom on insta @kirsten.s.reid
Q: Can I just say I personally think you are the Queen of the ultimate weekend adventure! I have loved seeing you and your gorgeous crew head off to so many different places over this past summer! How important are these adventures for you guys and why do you think you all love them so much?
Ha ha Queen - that’s quite the title! Not sure if I can take that one. I will give the title to my incredible husband though. He truely is the King of the ultimate weekend adventure. Family is everything to Hayden and I. It is 100% our priority. As a family we value our time together so much and our adventures for us mean quality time with our beautiful kids which is why we love and crave them so much. I hate the word busy but I would say Hayden is a VERY productive man so for us to escape together means that he can switch off his mind and just be with us. We love being together can ya tell!
Q: It often appears like you've just packed up the car and hit the road in search of adventure, with very little planning. Is that how it is or do you plan your weekends away in advance?
Yes that would be very true. We love to do lots of last minute trips with hardly any planning or no planning at all. One of our best holidays we ever had was one exactly like that. We borrowed our brother and sister in laws caravan and took off with absolutely no idea where we would end up. It was late at night, there had just been a storm so not many places open but we randomly ended up at Hahei Campground begging them to let us stay. Hayden has woo - so he makes things happen! They moved their staff car parking area to make space for us and it was the greatest family holiday ever! We loved it so much that now we go back every year!
Q: Tell us about your favourite weekend adventure so far. Any secret spots you want to share?
For us weekend adventures have to be close by to get the most out of it. Less travel - more play. I would say hanging out with Hayden’s family on their lake side farm would be a major highlight. It’s camping styles but Hayden has a huge family so there are lots of kids and lots of toys to play on. The lake is very quiet so it makes you feel like you are so far away from your hectic life back home. It’s all about family, connection, food, fun times and lots of chill time. Lake Rotoiti is an amazing lake that is close by too and they have the most incredible hot pools on the lake that you can only get there by boat. Def worth a visit. 
Q. Your three gorgeous kiddos are a little older now so travelling with them might be a bit easier but what advice would you give to other parents who might be thinking a weekend adventure with their little ones is all too hard?
Just do it. Even when you can’t be bothered, the kids are grumpy and all you want to do is take the easy route of staying at home and watching movies - going on an adventure with the family is always worth it. The memories that you are creating with your kids are priceless. We only get them for such a short time so making the most of every opportunity is something that you will never regret.
I was talking to a friend just last weekend after they took their kids on a last minute trip to the snow. At one point her and her husband looked at each other and thought this is torture - kids were fighting, the kids didn’t have enough cold weather gear, their feet were freezing but these kids were having the time of their lives.
As kids you will remember those magical weekends like playing in the snow for the first time with your family for the rest of their lives. You can’t put a price on those memories. One of our family mottos is collect memories not things. Its way too easy to get caught up in this world and just wanting stuff. But at the end of the day, quality time with your family is so much more important.
Q: One weekend adventure essential you never leave home without?
A positive attitude. My husband has positivity as one of his strengths. I think my positivity strength is waaaaaaay down the bottom. I will sometimes pick his plans or even no plans apart but somehow it always works. I am so thankful for his joy. He has taught me a lot! I don’t know what it is about him but anything he touches normally always turns to gold. This is like our holidays - he just makes them happen and I trust that it will all turn out ok and know we will have the best time. It won’t be perfect but man we will have fun.
Q: The ultimate holiday away with your crew of adventurers would be.....
I would love love love to travel down to the South Island in a campervan with our crew. It’s so bad - we have been overseas quite a bit but I have never really done the South Island. Hayden has and he can’t wait to show us around. I think we live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it would be rude not to see all that it has to offer. Queenstown, Te Anau, Hamner Springs, Nelson, Pancake Rocks, Arrowtown, Fiordlands. Together - we want to see it all.
