The Muddy Buddy

Well, today was the Muddy Buddy– an annual race through the Orowaiti River flats at low tide.  The goal for the 1KM course is not to be the fastest, but to be the dirtiest and most mud-caked.  We bravely entered as a family and claimed that Rose was a year older than she actually is so that she could participate.  Dara backed out at the last minute claiming she might have to go in to the hospital at a moment’s notice (truth be told, she was on call and had asked a friend to cover her so she could come see us).

We outfitted ourselves with some of the finest threads available at the local second-hand store and duct taped up our shoes to prevent them from getting stuck in the mud.

Then it was time to line up and GO!

Hazel quickly embraced the spirit of the race by rolling around in the slop almost immediately, while Rose and Leah took a more cautious approach.

The course had various obstacles–tires, zig-zags, slides and places for rolling, wheel-barrowing, and sliding on your backside.  And, there were several little channels of water to trudge through. Our intrepid gang were total champs and completed the whole race, with smiles on their faces.

It wasn’t until the kids got dowsed by fire brigade’s firehose shower that they freaked out.  The water was too strong and too cold for them.  Mom rescued us all with towels and we made it home to warm baths and showers.

For the full set of pics, click here.