A Tauranga family made an epic escape from the bustling city over the New Year period.

Right after Christmas, the Fairbairns made their way to Taupō, where they travelled by helicopter into the bush of the Kaimanawa Range.

Jamie and Amie, along with their two sons James, 11, and Fletcher, 9, were dropped into the middle of nowhere for six nights.

They stayed in a hut built by Jamie’s uncle in 1993 and explored the landscapes to reconnect with nature.

James, Fletcher, Amie and Jamie Fairbairn outside the hut built by Jamie's uncle in 1993. Photo supplied.

“It was like having six nights of sleepovers all in the same room,” Jamie said.

They spotted sika deer and eels, and enjoyed sleeping in and teaching the boys about life beyond the city.

“It was a perfect blend of adventure and family time,” Jamie wrote in a Facebook post.

Jamie, Fletcher, James and Amie Fairbairn crossing a stream in the Kaimanawa Range. Photo supplied.

Jamie said this trip was about disconnecting from work, phones, the internet and social media and reconnecting with nature and each other.

Jamie, Fletcher, Amie and James Fairbairn in a helicopter heading from Taupō to the Kaimanawa Range. Photo supplied.

“As soon as we [left] in the helicopter, we shut off from technology and any contact. You’re so present for the time that you’re in the bush, right until you come out.”

Jamie and Amie are both directors of their own building company, Fairbairn Builders Ltd.

Jamie said they enjoyed switching their phones off and spending some quality time with their boys after a busy end to 2024.

James, Jamie and Fletcher Fairbairn during their family escape from the city to celebrate the new year. Photo supplied.

The Fairbairns have been making trips like these since the boys were little. “Even when [they were carried] in backpacks and couldn’t walk, they just came for bushwalks with us.

“They’re not scared of the bush. They get to see a side of nature that most kids will never see.

“They need to know that there’s more to life than going to school, [sports] and playing games on the computer.”

One of the sika deer the Fairbairns saw during their trip to the Kaimanawa Range. Photo supplied.

Jamie taught the boys about different types of trees and animals, and later on, they would point out and name the wildlife they passed by.

Jamie has 26 years of experience taking trips in the bush and knows there can be risks involved, especially without being able to rely on cellphone service.

That’s why he carries first-aid gear and an emergency locator beacon (EPI) with a text system for potential emergencies.

Jamie, James, Amie and Fletcher Fairbairn, pictured on a sunny day during their trip in the Kaimanawa Range. Photo supplied.

“My family has been hunting for over 100 years,” he said. For generations, the Fairbairns have been hunting in the bush and have passed their knowledge of it down, as Jamie is doing for his sons.

On New Year’s Eve, the family shot a deer, then all went together to recover the animal.

Jamie, Amie, Fletcher and James Fairbairn with the deer they shot on New Year's Eve. Photo supplied.

Jamie used the hunt as a teaching opportunity for his sons and allowed them to locate the deer and taught them about the animal’s biology.

The meat was used to feed the family, and they used what was left to make sausages to share with family and friends.

This moment, when the the family were all together, was a favourite memory from the trip for Jamie.

Fletcher Fairbairn playing cards with Jamie while taking a break from hunting. Photo supplied.

Many other trips have been planned for 2025 ahead of an action-packed year of family bonding time.

Jamie said he 100% recommends others take a trip like theirs and get out of the city and into nature.