Flooding doesn't dampen fun

Hamish McEwan, 15, Rose McEwan, 16, and James McEwan, 12 paddle their inflatable lilos on a flooded play ground in Rangiora. Photo / Getty Images

For kids, every rain cloud should always have a silver lining.

The McEwan kids of Rangiora made the most of today's torrential and relentless rain by getting inventive, adventurous, and thoroughly wet.

James, 12, Hamish, 15, and big sister Rose, 16, were kept home from school, and boredom was nestling in by mid-morning.

When they looked out the rear window of their two-storey house on West Belt and noticed the neighbouring park at the entrance to Oxford Estate had become a lake, they had a collective idea.

Out came the old inflatable lilo and dinghy from the garage.

They pumped them up, chucked on jackets and shorts, and using an old kayak paddle, set sail.

"This is the best fun ever," said James, a Fernside School pupil.

James, who along with his elder sister goes to Rangiora High, kicked back in the lilo as if he was lounging on a Rarotongan beach.

Rose noticed the plastic bottom has fallen out of their boat.

Residents in wet-weather gears and umbrellas laughed and waved as they walked by, checking out the worst of the North Canterbury town's flooding.

The relatively-new residential estate to the west of the town appears to have a blocked drain at its entrance, creating the impromptu lake, as well as a cascading river eastwards down neighbouring Johns Rd.

But for the McEwan kids, they couldn't be happier - if not a bit chilly.

"Another lap and then we better go home and dry off," said Rose.

Twenty minutes later, they're still at it; soaked to the bone and laughing their heads off.