This was the first club trip for kids with an age limit. I’d like to believe that all kids should be welcome on our family-friendly trips, but I have to acknowledge the tremendous difference in fitness levels between a 2-year-old and a 12-year-old. A 2-year-old can walk a kilometre in an hour, and covering 4 kilometres is an all-day mission. A 12-year-old can easily complete 4 kilometres in an hour. So, I experimentally imposed a 6-year age limit on this trip. The participating kids ranged from 2 to 6 years.
Anyway, 8 parents and 7 kids arrived at the Gondola car park at 8:45 AM. I apologised for the early hour, but I wanted to catch at least a bit of the Lyttelton Market that finishes at 12 PM. If we had met later, the market would have been over.
We went up the pipeline, which took us about 1.5 hours. Yes, it was slow, but steady! We took a strategic break below the rocky part so the kids could catch their breath, have a snack, and gather their strength before the scrambly bits. For us adults, it’s just rocky terrain, but the kids needed to use their hands on it. We took another decent break at the shelter on top of Bridle Path and then took Bridle Path down to Lyttelton Market. The kids were great, playing games along the way and being silly as they’re supposed to at this age.
We reached Lyttelton Market just before 12 PM. A good meeting point turned out to be a small playground at the main square. It had toilets, a water fountain, and a little slide. From there, we walked down to the bridge to watch the big boats coming and going from the harbour and then took a bus back through the tunnel to the Gondola car park. Some kids reported that taking the bus through the tunnel was the best experience in a long time, and one little girl reportedly declared this day the “best day ever.” That’s very motivating for me to keep organising these trips. Oh and Elliot (my 3 year-old son) walked the whole way!
Stats: 4.8 km, 5 h, 300m ascent
Participants: Michal Klajban (leader, scribe, GPX, photos) + son, Breana Wilson + daughter, Phillip Bateman + daughter, Emma Hewat + daughter and a son, Nico and Ira + son, Verca Zhouba and Glenn + son
Tramped on 18th May 2024.
Photos
Map
Max elevation: 345 m
Min elevation: 3 m
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