Travel tips from past travellers

Tips and tricks from renters who have been there and done that

 

We have asked some of our renters to share their experiences in New Zealand and here are some that you may find useful.

So, what did you take from your New Zealand trip?

 

Know about self-containment

 

Camping Fees = Prices are higher than normal, but this allows for well maintained services. 

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Some travelers choose a paid campsite after 2-4 days of back-country camping. 

 

A great discovery: Okay2Stay! "a program that allows you, for $45 per year, to park your motorhome for the night at a local artisan (cheese makers, produce, breweries, vineyards, etc.); a true win-win idea!"

Guaranteed to meet great people!

 

Back-country camping in complete freedom, finding spectacular landscapes in this country is very easy. 

  Not to worry if you'd rather be certain of your campsite, campgrounds are everywhere. (Top10 Holday Parks, Department Of Conservation...)
 

 New Zealand is warm and welcoming, and "made to be discovered by motorhome."

Well adapted to motorhome travel - there is truly a place for everyone to camp!

 
Summer?   Or Winter? 

 Even during the high season you can find openings in the campgrounds.

 

Keep up to date with the weather and the colder temperatures on the South Island

However, "less crowds and more freedom!"

 

In New Zealand, just like anywhere else, beware of long driving distances and speed limits. Most of all, ENJOY, it's vacation!

 

Pauline G. who travelled from Auckland to Christchurch in a profile campervan from November 30th to December 29th, 2016 shares this reveiw with you:

Thanks to the self-contained vehicle, we were able to enjoy total freedom and sleep in areas more and more wild each night. A real pleasure! Not having reserved anything in advanced allowed us to adapt our itinerary to the changing weather and regions which became innaccessible due to earthquakes...a normal occurance in NZ!

I think it is well worth it to consider renting a self-contained unit, even though it seems more expensive on paper. 

Traveling in a van with no shower or toilet requires spending your nights in campgrounds, and there are fewer and fewer of these facilities available without a charge (many campgrounds have even become "self-contained only" according to the WikiCamps app).

A self-contained unit allows for you to skip the payed campgrounds (in 30 days, we only stayed in 6 payed campgrounds to recharge our batteries) which during the span of one month saves you a good amount. 

Not only that, but the self-contained motorhomes run on diesel and not unleaded. There was a 70 cent difference between unleaded and diesel, thus, on a long road-trip it can become quite a sum...According to our calculations, we saved around 400/500 dollars on fuel. 

BONUS 

Some of our travelers were delighted to find these applications, which helped them tremendously while on the road:

- Campermate

- WikiCamps

Dont forget, every road-trip is unique. It's all up to you to create your own adventure! Safe travels!

 

 

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General Info

1

Explore this safe country with beautiful scenery and very warm and friendly people who respect the nature around them

2

The driving distances are reasonable with easy, beautiful routes; one quickly gets used to driving on the left. You will save money on expensive accomodation by camping.

3

The ski slopes on the South Island guarentee great snow!

4

Plan to travel in December, January or Febuary: book 6 - 9 months in advance

5

Motorhome travel will allow you to access rafting spots, moutaineering spots and other extreme sports areas in complete freedom! The passage between the two islands by ferry is easy in a motorhome.

New Zealand landscape photos from Bernard R.'s trip

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Pauline G. New Zealand Road-Trip

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Just girls want to have fun on the road in New Zealand

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From Auckland to Christchurch

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