with site camping is that with so many campervans of the road, reservations are usually required, which can dictate your schedule. We only used these facilities a few times when free camping sites could not be found when arriving to a destination late at night, and space was available in the off-season. Free camping is simply parking
the camper anywhere without a “No overnight camping” sign. As I splurged on the BaseJumper and wanted to travel by the seat of our pants, free camping proved ideal allowing us to wake up to some truly magnificent scenery. When following back roads we would pull over in any kind of pullout we could find. However, if we were on one of the major highways, use of the abundant picnic areas always worked well, and usually offered up just as magnificent scenery. Wilderness supply each van with a
very useful camping book, that describes the ins and outs of campervaning in New Zealand along with road maps of the whole country. Te New Zealand government has set up a very effective camping infrastructure that is simple to use with a plethora of signage and direction. Dump stations are prevalent and well marked.
Making the most of New Zealand One must remember that New Zealand
is in the southern hemisphere meaning that their seasons are opposite to ours. Te busy season is by far the summer months of January and February when rates will be at their highest and the lineups at their longest. If planning to make use of
skiing in July and August, most south island resorts also get quite busy. I however hit the sweet spot, arriving in mid May, just as the leaves are t u r n i n g yellow and orange, the prices were at
their
lowest and the highways were empty. As I’ve mentioned, New Zealand is
Beach camping with seals at Kaikura.
packed full of adventure and wonder, to the point were you are assured of falling in love with whatever region you choose to explore. If there was ever a place to pin up a map and start throwing destination darts, New Zealand is the place. However, while you really can go wrong in any direction that you take, there are some special places that should be added to any route. As I wanted to see as much of
the country as possible, I raced down the centre of the north island, circumnavigated around the coast of the south island and back up to Auckland in 17-days. Ideally if you want to get a proper Kiwi experience, dedicate at the very least two weeks to each island, as there will be several places you will want
to spend extra time, if not the rest of your life. Many who visit the country like to try visit both islands, which I highly recommend, however you will have to account for a rather expensive ferry trip between the two. With our 6.0- metre long campervan, a return trip cost us $696-NZD. Realizing a dream to explore New
Zealand proved even more fruitful than I had ever hoped. Te experience was made all the more
pleasurable at the wheel of a campervan, cutting down on logistical planning and allowing us to freely explore this great country. If you too have a desire to see the land
of the long white cloud, be sure to make a campervan a part of your experience; it just makes everything better. 4
RVT 143 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56