I have never driven a camper van and so have never toured in one. It was time to remedy that. So, with some trepidation my wife and I booked a Maui camper van for two, complete with toilet and shower so we could go anywhere and stop anywhere. The rules regarding “freedom camping” here in New Zealand have tightened up recently. Vans need to be toilet equipped to go off piste. We picked up our van and at 7.2 metres long and 2.8 metres high it is rather larger than anything I have driven recently. Cruise ships excepted of course.A thorough briefing was given into how the van and the utilities within worked including how to empty the toilet cassette and where. A job for a few days hence I hope.
Initially we drove the van home to load it up. It quickly became apparent that we had more stuff than the van could hold. We have now reduced to the essentials which include plenty of wine, cheese, antipasti, crackers leaving enough space for clothes. That should do.
Day one took us from home just north of Christchurch, passed Hamner Springs, through the Lewis Pass to Springs Junction. After a short break we pushed on to Reefton and onto our stop for the night at a holiday park called Carters Beach near Westport. If you use the what3words app then our position is dweller.foldable.habit If you dont use the app then you should. We decided to stay here to get plugged into mains power and learn how everything operated in the van. A total distance so far of 310 Kms. It took us 6.5 hours including stops. The scenery is breathtaking and we stopped numerous times to take photos. Here are a few to whet your appetite. The final one is of a lady who was warming herself on the beach by a small fire. After chatting to her, turns out she is from Rangiora, not 5 kms from where we live. Small world!
Woodend Wanderer 