Camper Van Life
Campervans appear to be the preferred method of tourist travel in New Zealand. Sometimes it seems like there are more RVs on the road than regular cars.
As a backpacker, I find them completely irresistible. The prospect of removing that heavy load from my weary shoulders and throwing all our accumulated mementos and dirty laundry in a heap at the back of a van, without the need to repack for three weeks, sounded heavenly and I was not disappointed.
Ever since our first cross-country trip we have been eyeing the many transportation + accommodation options on display at the campsites where we overnighted: your conversion vans, pop-up trailers, land yachts, etc. For it's impossible to ignore the cooler features of the Winnebago parked next to your tent. While you're heating up a can of beans with a gas burner on the picnic table -- trying your best not to singe your mittens -- your neighbors needn't wear their jackets as they prepare a three-course meal indoors with the help of both convection and microwave ovens and enjoy watching satellite TV. Since renting a campervan in New Zealand is so affordable (ours was roughly $50 a day), we figured that this was our best shot at living the dream.
Of course, our humble van might be described as lacking a few modern RV conveniences. After all, it was chosen for its affordability (and its automatic transmission), not its features. There was no TV, oven, refrigerator or bathroom (a potty chair doesn't count), but it seemed luxurious nonetheless. The guy we rented it from had refitted this old work van into a backpacker retreat. We had a small sink with a showerhead, a cabinet with utensils, pots, plates, etc., a cooler and a gas burner, essentially all that is necessary for money-saving self-catering. The bed converted into a table and couches for use during the day and our clothes were stowed out of the way underneath. There were curtains for privacy and shelving for our guidebooks. It was a great relief to not have to worry about where we would lay our heads each night.
New Zealand is set up for campervan tourism. Most cities have extra wide parking and most tourist destinations have at least one holiday park, which comes with electrical hookups, hot showers and kitchen facilities. If you're willing to pay a bit more, the fancier parks have TV lounges, pools, saunas, spas, steam rooms, laundry machines and trampolines. On the other hand, if you want to conserve cash, you can just pull off on the side of the road for the night -- a spot that doesn't have "no camping" signage is best. Most people say that this is both common and safe (as long as they haven't seen Wolf Creek). We chatted with a British couple who had been traveling around NZ in a van for over five months and they'd shelled out for a holiday park fewer than 15 times.
With the tools we were given, we personally had no problem cooking, cleaning and brushing our teeth when we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere for the night. Moreover, a sponge bath wasn't unheard of and the portable toilet was used in more than a few emergencies, despite the fact that it was designed for toddlers. But mixing in a few holiday park stays with your impromptu roadside accommodation is probably best for personal hygiene. Still, the van-dwelling Brits we met were remarkably pleasant smelling -- they explained that they often enquired the cost of a shower at youth/backpacker hostels and found that it was usually less than $3 per person. When we later followed their example at a hostel in Wellington, the guy at the desk let us use the bathroom facilities for free. We like to think that it was our ingratiating smiles and not our odor that provoked this kindness.
Our best night in the van was also the first night we didn't pay to park. Though we had thoroughly checked the surrounding area for "no camping" warnings, we were still a bit nervous that someone might knock on the window in the middle of the night and ask us gypsies to move on. But we soon fell asleep to the sound of the waves breaking on the beach and the following morning more than made up for the previous night's worry. We woke up early with day just breaking. Warm and cozy under the covers, we slid open the window and watched the sun rise over the water from bed. I'm sure there were better accommodations in Kaikoura, but I doubt there was a better view.
That day, after making tea inside the van, we went for a walk to explore the coast and visit the seal colony that lives there.
We began our loop hike by taking the high road, up the cliffs, through gorgeous sheep pasture and tall grass picturesquely swaying in the ocean breeze. It wasn't until we were half way back on the low road that we realized quite suddenly exactly how close we would get to the seals. I nearly stepped on one, who was hiding there on the pebbles, sunning himself in plain view, just waiting to startle a passing tourist for a good laugh. But there were plenty more who more cleverly hidden.
As we traveled further along the beach we were soon forced to tip toe trembling through some tight passages in between grunting lines of grumpy seals.
By Meredith Bragg |
April 10, 2006; 9:31 AM ET
| Category:
New Zealand
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Posted by: Bob H. | April 18, 2006 05:25 PM
Kaikoura is so magical. I have a soft spot for fur seals after seeing them there. We also lived out of a camper van for three months on the south island. Glad you are enjoying the "rest stops." That's true backpacker luxury.
For all those traveling to NZ to hike, I would definitely recommend the St. James Walkway. It is less crowded but so lovely.
Posted by: Amanda | May 4, 2006 12:26 PM
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Thank you for posting an article about what it is like to be a backpacker in NZ. Most Americans are horrified at the concept of staying in anything less than a bona fide hotel; the reality is, in NZ, backpacking is the way to go. Not only is it cheap, but it is a much more connected way to travel, as you allude to with your comment about a Kaikoura sunrise. (BTW, if you visited Kaikoura and didn't swim with dolphins, then you've made a grave error!) As you travel in a campervan, you should consider staying a few nights in a good hostel to taste the little ad hoc communities that grow up in them on a nightly basis. Try the Hippo Lodge in Queenstown or Southern Comfort in Invercargill.
I have traveled from Cape Rienga to Slope Point on two separate occasions and I wouldn't stay in any other accomodation than a hostel.
- Bob H, Boston, Ma.