Our sweet girl just recently became a teen, and with her being slightly horse obsessed (and there being no way we can buy her a horse despite the pleading) we figured the best idea for a birthday present was a horse trek! Thankfully, a local place was advertising a deal and we grabbed it and booked in a 1 hour beach trek for herself and me (Eeeeek!).

I've never been one of those girls who was into horses... my dream as a child was for my own pet pig (strange I know!), so I felt a little nervous at riding a horse all by myself for an hour, but took the leap because I love my girl.

We had such an amazing time, and for beginners like us, the horses were experienced, patient and so cute (instagram video here),

The trek took us through some farm land and right onto a beach (Waipu/Urititi area, Whangarei, New Zealand) with stunning views on a beautiful day!

My girl was a natural for a first timer, handling trotting and galloping with confidence, while it took me a while to learn how to sit and hold on tight with my legs and stop flailing my arms around!

I would highly recommend Waipu Horse Adventures to anyone - lovely staff and horses and such a beautiful way to see our beautiful country and experience horse riding for beginners and experienced people.

My girl is keen to go again ASAP!