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A seven metre long camper kept the vehicle skinny enough for narrow roads, but still provided a good amount of square footage
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A DOC campsite in the Southern Alp Mountains. Most sites away from major attractions are mostly vacant for most of the year.
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Our campervan had just the right amount of space for two people.
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Rearward facing doors allow a great open-air experience, especially when waking on a beach.
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Ensure this decal is on the back of your campervan if you choose to freedom camp.
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The Kea bird is a parrot that lives in the alpine region. They are friendly, but will tear the rubber seals off your vehicle. Keep them away!
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Being an island in the middle of the South Pacific, New Zealand offers some great storm watching even in summer.
Story & photos by Budd Stanley
It is said that New Zealand invented extreme sports. While my natural fear of any height above two-metres keeps me from splurging in adrenalin pounding acts of insanity, New Zealand does offer one extreme I love – that of offering a true summer in an exotic location during the cold Canadian winter. If you enjoy spectacular natural environments, magnificent wildlife, courteous people and an “island life” lifestyle set to a national scale, chances are you’re going want to try some extreme snowbirding yourself.
Whether you’re a student on a budget or a retiree looking to explore new cultures and sun soaked beaches, the best way to experience New Zealand is by RV. However, being on the other side of the planet, there are a few tips one should know before embarking on a Kiwi adventure. As a seasoned New Zealand explorer, let me talk you through what could very likely be one of the greatest winter escapes of all time.
With the popularity of campervans and RV’s in New Zealand, your renting options are time consuming and massive. I make use of Motorhome Republic (motorhomerepublic.com), which is a fantastic resource for not just finding and booking your campervan or RV, but to also plan your adventure. Motorhome Republic is an online booking agent that allows you to compare from 31 different rental companies in one place, they charge no booking fees and give you a better price than rental sites themselves.
Research each campervans options, pricing, feature and add-ons and make your booking in one fell swoop. Motorhome Republic is not just a good booking tool, they also provide a great selection of itinerary ideas and samples that give travelers all the basics they need to create an iconic Kiwi tour that will hit all the must-do items. If you want to tread off the beaten track, check out their blog entries that follow travellers into New Zealand’s hidden treasures to find adventure.
When you are deciding what size campervan or RV to rent, it is important to understand New Zealand’s driving environment to ensure you get the best vehicle for your needs. New Zealand is very much a rural nation. There are no freeways, the majority of travel between towns will be on very narrow two-lane roads that will twist and wind their way over mountains and varying terrain. It’s not uncommon to come across skinny one-lane bridges, so get a vehicle that you are comfortable squeezing through narrow places.
When my wife and I booked our campervan, a 7-metre long enclosed van was the best bang for our buck. We saved a couple hundred dollars booking through Motorhome Republic and received a modern van that proved nimble on Kiwi roads. The ideal campervan in my opinion is a Fiat/Mercedes/VW van with a small RV living quarters in the back. This makes the vehicle only slightly wider, but provides the most efficient use of space with beds that usually lower from the ceiling.
Once you’ve picked up your campervan, it’s time to come to terms with actually driving down under. Be prepared to adapt to driving a right-hand-drive vehicle on the left side of the road. To the uninitiated, this may create anxiety, but this doesn't need to be a stressful transition. Most rental companies are located in industrial parks next to airports, so adjust your seat and mirrors, and just play around in the park, getting used to staying left of the centre line and oncoming traffic. Rip around a couple round-abouts and parking lots, and after a couple minutes, you should have the hang of it.
There are two kinds of camping in New Zealand, freedom camping or caravan park camping. Caravan park stays are fairly self-explanatory; both islands are covered with sites that offer power, water, kitchen and bathroom facilities. Most have a dump station as well. The nicer and closer to an urban centre, the higher the price you will pay ($10/night in wilderness to $60/night in centre of Queenstown).
Freedom camping is simply finding a suitably scenic spot in the wilderness, be it at the foot of a waterfall or on the beach. This is the best way to enjoy what New Zealand truly has to offer, but be warned. Freedom campers have created a bit of a bad name for themselves over the last decade as popular sites have been abused and polluted by careless campers. As a result, to legally freedom camp, you must have a fully self-contained campervan, which must also be registered as a freedom camper. Ensure a blue campervan decal with the universal bathroom logo is placed on the rear of your campervan and you should not have any issues with authorities or locals.
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Cape Rienga
Sand dunes cover the northern tip of New Zealand; 90 km of beach is even designated as a highway.
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Catlin Penguins
Yes, New Zealand has penguins.
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Catlin Slope Point
High seas swell from Antarctica and crash magnificently on New Zealand’s southern-most tip.
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Hobbiton
If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings, there are many scene locations open to the public – some cost more than others.
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Queenstown Jetboat
Want excitement, a ride up a river on a jet boat is a Kiwi classic.
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Rarangi Vineyard
New Zealand has two main wine regions on each island.
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Tongariro
The Emerald Lakes are a feature on the Tongariro trail that crosses over two volcanoes.
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Wither Hills Winery
The vineyards in front of the Wither Hills winery in Blenheim, Marlborough, are famous for their Sauvignon.
It’s no secret that New Zealand is on most travellers wish list, and once someone finds out I’ve been there, they inevitably ask, “where should I go and how long do I need?” It is very important to not think of travel times and distances like you would here in Canada. A 300km trip In New Zealand could be an exhausting dawn to dusk push that confines your exploring to the seat of the campervan. Trust me, I’ve made this mistake. My rule of thumb, if you plan anything less than three weeks, keep your travels to one island. Only jump on the ferry if you are investing a month or more. New Zealand may be small, but it takes a lot of time to tour, so don’t waste it stuck behind the wheel.
While you really can’t go wrong with New Zealand, if you have to concentrate on one island, both offer their own unique experiences. As three-quarters of the countries 4.7 million people live on the North Island, it is more built up, yet is still gloriously uncrowded. Both Auckland and the national capital of Wellington offer fantastic urban experiences with campervan parking and camping within the downtown cores. Travellers will also find more native Maori cultural experiences here, particularly in and around Rotorua. The South Island is all about becoming one with nature, with the only real organized activities being found in the Queenstown area. The rest of the island is your supernatural oyster - explore at will.
The climate in New Zealand is quite mild for the most part (think California and Oregon), but it is easy to find a vast assortment of environments. Snow covered mountains line the central South Island, with lush rain forests on the west coast and drier rocky terrain on the east coast. The North Island boasts beautiful agricultural lands with the entire island covered in magnificent green rolling hills, only broken up by the eerie Volcanic Plateau region in the centre of the island where you will find a strangely enticing landscape laid to waste by consistent volcanic eruptions.
Whether you are looking for nightlife, natural beauty or hobbits, New Zealand is a truly special place that is very RV friendly. There really is no better way to experience Aotearoa.