Not-so winterless North a welcome escape after 'nightmare' journey

Charlene Page showing Emily and Chris Stein, and their children Ada and Mabel (who was not especially impressed) the lunch menu at Birdie's Cafe.

It might not have lived up to its winterless reputation at times, but the North was all that Blenheim couple Emily and Chris Stein had hoped and expected it to be.

They and their daughters, four-year-old Ada and almost 18-month-old Mabel, flew from Blenheim to Auckland on Friday, September 29 (after Emily had been shouted a beauty treatment), where they collected a European Motors motorhome and headed for Tutukaka.

The holiday, organised by Race4Life and made possible by the generosity of individuals and establishments the length and breadth of Northland, and further afield, was designed to make up for a grim experience earlier in the year.

Ada and Mabel Stein heading for Omapere at the end of a very long day.

The family had set off, with a caravan in tow, over the Easter school holidays, but it all went wrong.

The family's old truck did not enjoy the exertion, overheating to the point of needing repairs, and flooding closed the Waitomo Caves.

The nightmare ended in Auckland, where Emily's headaches were diagnosed as a symptom of brain cancer. She spent the next week receiving radiation treatment in Wellington.

Her time is limited now, but Race4Life set about making her holiday dream come true.
Their itinerary took them from Tutukaka to Paihia (for a Hole in the Rock cruise with Fullers GreatSights) and Kerikeri, and on Wednesday last week they arrived at Birdie's Cafe in Kaitaia, where they had lunch before heading north, staying at the DoC camp at Rarawa Beach before heading for Cape Reinga next day.

Thursday evening they were due at Omapere, where Pip Lloyd had dinner waiting for them at the Copthorne, and a private family outing to see Tane Mahuta (which Ada, who soon made friends with a local goat, was particularly looking forward to).

They left for Warkworth on Friday, flying back to Blenheim on Sunday (after catching a matinee performance of the musical Matilda at the Civic Theatre).

The weather had not been the best in the Bay of Islands, and the family had returned to Tutukaka briefly before turning north again, but they had seen the Stone Store and Kemp House (Emily has a Kemp family connection, and had not been there before), while a Perfect Day trip to the Poor Knights had been especially memorable.

Emily said she had seen a lot of New Zealand, and Northland was one of the "last pieces of the puzzle", while Race4Life's wish co-ordinator, Viv James, praised the generosity that had made it possible.

"The communities in Northland have been simply stunning in showing their compassion and love," she said.