In the Weekend Herald of Saturday 21 November, Anna Garrat expressed her concerns about our travelling mode so we thought it was very important to explain not just to Anna but also to the general public how Ella is experiencing the trip and how she is travelling. The following is how we responded and how we hope our response will be published:
"In response to Anna Garratt of Rotorua, rest assured we only travel when Ella is happy to do so. The average time on the road is around 3 to 4 hours per day, while the rest of the day she has time to chase the birds we see on our travels, laugh and shout at the cows and sheep we see on our roadside lunches, play for hours in the campsite kitchen with the other kids (Ella loves to trhow the pots and pans around), throw herself on the tent because it bounces, spend time on the campsite playgrounds, explore the beach for stuff she can find and throw in the sea, socialize with all the lovely people we meet, marvel at the dolphins we saw in Bay of Islands, run freely through the campsites, watch Baby Einstein on our little laptop but most of all she enjoys spending all her time with us rather than having to be in daycare 8 hours a day like most children. We sincerely believe our child is enjoying so much more freedom than most children that are put in the car to get to daycare and have to spend most their time inside the house. Ella gets to enjoy the outdoors. To compare six months of undivided attention from both parents and having to spend a few hours per day in a buggy while she's asleep to prison is quite a stretch.
We would like to invite Anna to have a coffee with us when we pass through Rotorua as we might have given the wrong idea about how we are travelling. It goes without saying that the baby's interests and safety go first.
Kindest regards
Wouter and Vanessa
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I would like to congratulate Wouter, his wife and their daughter for having the courage to travel the length of NZ in the manner with which they have choosen. Their actions and attitude to life have set the foundations which will provide their daughter with the advantage of a positive outlook on life. If only others were as brave!!!!
ReplyDeleteWouter, it is a privilage to know you and I hope I get to met the family in the not-so-distant-future. Good luck and keep pedalling. Let the old fuddy-duddies say what they want; look where it has got them tus far!
G, MacQueen, Greece
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteYou'll always find people who will think they know better than you, who will criticize and make an opinion/judgment. Often, they are the same people than the ones staying on the bench watching others trying. So good on you for trying. What you are doing is great, and no doubt Ella is having the best time.
Have fun,
Ben
Pardon my ignorance, but I am having difficulty finding the interactive map...? If someone could enlighten me where to click, I would be grateful.
ReplyDeleteI am very much enjoying this site, and am tempted to join you when you get nearer my hometown of Upper Hutt. Even if this is not possibile for you, I can still show you the sights that no tourist normally sees. In particular, if you need to get from Featherston to Upper Hutt, the Rimutaka Incline (originally for trains), is now a 17km cycle track of a grade so easy, you don't realise it is uphill! (There is one exception where the train used to go over a bridge.)
I look forward to your next post - keep the photos coming!
Warm regards
Margaret