…Q & A about life in the camper van…

Did the Wingerups (not exactly a camping family) really live in a campervan for almost 2 weeks?

Yes, we really did!  And when we go to New Zealand again (you notice I said “when”, not “if”), we would do it again. 

Where did you get your campervan, and what was it like?

We rented our van from an awesome company called Wilderness Motorhomes (www.wilderness.co.nz).  It’s a great company, and we only have wonderful things to say about their customer service.  And the van was immaculate, totally equipped, and cute too – ours was red, so we felt especially sporty!   It was a VW van with a pop-up roof that we named the loft, since it was the girls’ sleeping space in the evenings.  It also had a small fridge, running water, a gas powered stovetop, and had all the kitchen equipment we would need, including a french press coffee maker!  Bliss.

We chose to rent the smallest van available for 4 people because we are not accustomed to driving large vehicles AND we had to drive on the left side of the road.  I say “we”, but it was really Per.  He totally rocked the “driving on the other side of the road challenge”.   The biggest downside of the small van was we needed to completely rearrange everything each night and morning.  The upside was we could tuck into regular parking spaces in most places, and Per didn’t feel like he was driving a bus.   It was definitely the right choice for us this trip, but next time we would go up one size so the adults can have a larger sleeping area. 

Where did you stay?

New Zealand has an incredible infrastructure set up for camping, with well-marked picnic areas, a huge array of camping options including lots of “motor camps” equipped with powered sites (so you can plug in your van at night – key if you need to have a heater running, which we did much of the time), shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, and sometimes internet and laundry facilities too.  We stayed in a variety of places, including a spot by the beach (really, really ON the beach!), a “parking lot” in the city, a camp within walking distance of a seal colony, and many places tucked into the woods.  We greatly benefited from traveling during the off-season, and had no trouble finding a place to park for the evening with no reservations.  (During the high-season, many of the camps need to be booked a few weeks ahead of time.) 

Highs and lows of camper van living?

Highs:

• We saw so many beautiful places, and so much gorgeous countryside, it defies description.
• Life was really, really flexible. Traveling with our “home” made it easy to wander.  We decided where to go each day, and could (and did) change our minds without thinking twice.  When we were hungry, we could find a picnic spot, pull lunch out of the fridge (or even make a hot meal if we felt inclined), and enjoy.
• The motor parks and camps had nice facilities, and we were able to cook and do laundry, which we considered big perks!
• Snuggling together and reading at night was extra cozy.
• Togetherness.

Lows:

• Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night (a walk to the bathrooms in the cold and sometimes rainy conditions was not too inviting).
• The small sleeping space – but this is only true for the adults.  The girls considered their small sleeping space in “the loft” to be one of the high points!
• Maybe a little too much togetherness sometimes.

Would we do it again?  Absolutely.  Camper van all the way, baby!

Tagged: Around the world travel, camper van, camper van in new zealand, new zealand, Sian Wayt, wilderness motors