On holiday with the average NZ family: Teenager grounded after bottles found

HUMOUR - By GRAHAM REID


Angry parents Raylene and Bruce Riley-Thompson yesterday grounded their 14-year-old daughter, Amber, after discovering empty bottles of alcopop under her inflatable mattress at the Kakamoana Caravan Park in the Far North.

The incident was overheard by many other campers at the quiet beach camping ground.

It has spoiled the Riley-Thompsons' holiday, according to locals.

Mrs Riley-Thompson expressed "bitter disappointment" at the chance discovery of the bottles, and Mr Riley-Thompson announced that his daughter was not going to be allowed phone calls or to go out for a year.

Amber, however, protested her innocence.

"This is pathetic. They weren't mine and I don't know how they got there. Someone must have hidden them there yesterday when I was at Steve and Peter's tent.

"Anyway they can't be mine. I don't drink and I don't even like rum. It makes me puke."

The grounding has also confirmed Amber's fears - expressed to the Herald earlier - that the family holiday would be "stink".

"I knew something like this would happen. Dad keeps saying he's going to send me to stay with my Grandma in Orewa, but I'd rather be there than at this stupid beach with my stupid olds.

"At least at Grandma's she goes to bed early so I get to stay up late or sneak out to hang around Burger King. Here we just have a barbecue, Dad drinks some beer, my little brother and I watch TV then we all go to bed about 8.30.

"It's stink here, I hope it dies."