Travel the world

Living in a New Zealand Campervan

Arthurs Pass New Zealand
So far, we’ve spent 11 of our 90 or so days here in New Zealand living in a campervan.

Before being in a couple of RV’s with friends (in the states), I always thought of motorhomes as (more than just a bit) ghetto or hillbilly.

But because of the experience I had with friends’ motorhomes, I got opened up to the idea of being in a motorhome/campervan.

And driving around in campervans is one way we’ve been seeing the country of New Zealand.
Cape Foulwind Seal Colony near Westport New Zealand
I am surprised how much I’m enjoying having an RV.

Carrie put it best by saying that the reason she’s liking having a campervan is that it’s great while being on the road, knowing where you’ll sleep every night, and not having to worry about taking all your stuff with you, because you already are where you’re sleeping every night, and you’re already taking all your stuff with you.

The campervans we’ve rented have been roomy (for two), comfortable, and equipped with everything we need, as well as pretty much everything we want.

And, I’m used to driving on the other side of the road now, having spent a fair amount of time in the driver’s seat.

So far, in 11 days, we’ve covered 3250 km. by road, in 2 campervans (Motorhomes).

We’re about to rent another one as well.

That’s 2,020 miles in 11 days, or about 200 miles/day.

It’s great during this time to have good company. Carrie and I keep ourselves and each other occupied while on the road.

We do this by:

  • Playing games like 20 questions
  • Talking about business ideas, web content, products/services, finances
  • Planning our next steps of our travel
  • Etc.

We also occupy our time with Carrie reminding me about bridges.

There are a surprising number of one lane bridges here in NZ. There aren’t a lot of people here, especially on the South Island.
Cape Foulwind Seal Colony near Westport New Zealand
Being that the country has a lot of rivers and lakes, many of the major roads go over these rivers, but there’s no real need for more than 1 lane bridges, even on many of the major roads.

For whatever reason, I’ve been neglecting to slow down to approach these bridges (even though they’re extremely well marked and are easy to see from the higher position of the driver’s seat in the campervan). So Carrie usually will say “One Lane Bridge”.

If that doesn’t register with me quickly enough, my foot now automatically moves to the brake when I hear her say “You might want to slow down…”

Actually, this has only happened a couple of times in 11 days. They’re all new roads to us.

The views are incredible – from the beaches to the snow capped mountains.
The Remarkables near Queenstown and Wanaka New Zealand
Haast Pass New Zealand
Mostly, we’re really enjoying being able to spend the night wherever we feel like stopping, so long as there’s (a picnic area or a) camper park, or in one case, a country road with a shoulder that was way off the road. (We woke up there to the sound of a guy on a four-wheeler and his dog herding cattle.)

A campervan, motorhome, or RV is really an incredible way to see New Zealand.

It’s something we’re surprised to recommend so highly.

So far, we’ve rented 4 berth campers through Maui (did a return for them for about $25/day(after insurance)) and a Backpacker Quattro. Backpacker costs a lot less (if you’re not doing a return). However, the Maui rental had a diesel heating system (which works wherever you are), whereas the Backpacker’s heater is electric and only works when you’re plugged in at a camper park.

We’ve loved it and are looking forward to our upcoming campvervan rental (another rental return) to head back up to Auckland.
Mt Cook Aoraki New Zealand

3 thoughts on “Living in a New Zealand Campervan

  1. Baby Quilt Patterns

    Oh! this video takes me back to 2003 when my sister and I rented a campervan for 7 weeks and toured both islands. It was fabulous. Driving was a piece of cake(of course we are used to driving on the left). We were even able to park in the middle of Auckland at 9am on a Monday morning.
    You mention the seals at Cape Foul Wind. We watched them whilst eating a fantastic breakfast in a wonderful cafe overlooking the ocean.
    I could go on for ever, but I won’t. All I will say is if there is anyone reading this who is thinking of hiring a campervan and touring New Zealand – do it. You are like a snail, you have your home on your back and you can sleep in a different place every night if you wish. Bliss!

    1. strive4impact Post author

      Hey Davina!

      Bliss… that’s a great word to describe it. We are happy that our video brought back happy memories for you. 7 weeks? I imagine you saw most if not all of the country, huh?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *