I recently spent a couple of weeks road-tripping with whānau visiting Aotearoa from overseas showing them around and doing tourist activities that I don't normally get to do. I forget how there are actually so many cool experiences available to do especially when you get outside of Auckland. First stop was Taupo with a mandatory stop in Tīrau to get some pics outside the famous corrugated iron animals. We got to spend a day up at Mt Ruapehu where many of my whānau experienced snow for the first time. It was such a fun day mainly at Happy Valley on the tubes and making snowballs.
We then travelled to Rotorua for the Redwoods night time treewalk which is always so fun, they now have a man-made glow worm cave which includes a guided tour. I highly recommend checking this out, the guides are fun and are informative, you get to see the glow worms up close which I’ve never seen before. Of course we couldn’t be in Rotorua without doing the luge which is always fun especially as my fam are quite competitive so it was a race to the bottom every time. We also went to the Agrodome for their farm show and tour which I haven’t been to since probably the 90s, I’m so glad it’s been going all this time! The show was fun and interactive with the tour of the farm we got to feed the sheep and alpacas that they look after.
In between all these activities it was also the perfect time to catch on my TBR pile and get some boardgaming in with the whānau. Here’s a round up of what I read and the games we played.
Holiday Reads
First up, I finished London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe. I feel like I'm the last one in the office to have read this, everyone has been raving about it since it came out. I was hooked from the first page! Every chapter always ended with a cliffhanger that just kept me wanting more. Even though it is non-fiction, it reads like a crime thriller fictional novel. I thought the way the story unfolded with explaining parts of London’s history and how it tied into the story made this one feel like it was a gripping mystery podcast. This is one book I’m definitely recommending anyone to read!
For something completely different that I've been meaning to read, I picked up Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne. This sci-fi story follows Torian Razner who is determined to find a cure for her ailing sister so ventures off her colony by purchasing a ship that is run by a computer life source on board called Moss. It was such a delightful read, it’s cosy sci-fi with lots of humour throughout. The story is well paced and the sci-fi parts are not too technical at all. If you’re looking for a cosy, fun, light sci-fi read and enjoyed books like The Murderbot Diaries then I recommend Moss’d in Space.
I really needed to read my July book club pick (yes I'm so behind!) so Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark was next. It’s a novella at just 176 pages but it packs a punch! This is a fantasy historical fiction supernatural horror set in 1915 around the release of the film Birth of a Nation influencing the Ku Klux Klan. The story follows a group of resistance fighters as they battle to save the world from the Klan. This one instantly made me think of the movie Sinners or the TV series Lovecraft Country, it has that vibe to it. Ring Shout has been nominated and won various awards, most notably winning the Nebula Award for best novella in 2020. I highly recommend this one which you could definitely get through in no time!
I finished my holiday with an arc copy of One Day A Taniwha by Tīhema Baker. The book follows Hepa who is juggling being a first time father with very little sleep while holding a full-time job, being a good partner to Āniwa and having the constant pressures of society coming down on him every day. As he becomes more and more exhausted and stressed, the lines between reality and dreams start to blur, the tension builds and you feel the weight on Hepa’s shoulders while reading.
I felt like it was a timely read as it highlighted political issues that are happening for Aotearoa currently especially with the election around the corner. It highlights the stress on our health systems currently and the significant impact it has on Māori, most importantly the struggles to gain access to mental health support. I was really moved by Hepa’s story and also the relationships he has with his whānau and friends.
This is a powerful book that I’ll remember for a while as I keep thinking about Hepa, Āniwa and their little tama Wī.
Holiday Boardgames
Sea Salt & Paper is a great little easy card game that you can easily whip out and have a quick couple of games with just 2 players or up to 4. I love the artwork, the origami on the cards are super cute. The idea is to gain points and depending on the number of players it’s the first one to get to that number. There’s elements of the game that can completely change around who is in the lead so it keeps things interesting. Be warned it can get super competitive but this is lots of fun!
So Amelia mentioned Magical Athlete to me and I was like what a brilliant name and do I need to buy this? Turns out yes I do need this game and bought it just before I went on leave lol. The quality of the pieces of this game are amazing, the art work is so fun, it has a retro vibe to it. The game was actually originally released in 2003 and has since been revamped. You basically are racing around a track with your character that will have an ability to help you along the way or trip up your opponents. It's easy to set up and easy to get into straight away so perfect for roadtrips. It’s quick, fun, a little silly and anything can happen!
I got gifted the The Lord of the Rings the Fellowship of the Ring Trick Taking Game and it was the perfect gift for me. This is a card game where you are primarily taking cards from other players however you are working together at the same time to meet objectives for each of your characters that you represent. It’s similar to playing a legacy game as you make your way through each chapter of the book and reveal more of the story as you win your objectives and progress. Set up is easy and games are quick so perfect if you are short on time or looking for some light gaming.
Of course playing this made me want to watch all of the films (the extended editions of course) so I spent the rest of my break back in Auckland doing just that as well as playing the epic boardgame The Lord of the Rings Fate of the Fellowship. It’s created by Matt Leacock of Pandemic fame so it has the elements of the game however it doesn’t overshadow the overall play and truly makes you feel like you are in The Lord of the Rings. You work co-operatively to help Frodo destroy the ring and includes so many of the cast of characters from the books. The pieces of the game are amazing, I love the Nazgul’s flying around the board and the dice tower is amazing and easily fits back in the box. Games are around 60 or so minutes depending on how much strategy discussion takes place. Like Pandemic, a win is very satisfying, we have come close to losing all hope many a time! If you love Pandemic as well as Lord of the Rings then you’ll love this one.
Let me know any interesting spots around Aotearoa you’ve been too recently and what managed to read or play along the way!