#Vanlife - Kiwi Style
We decided, like many others, to explore New Zealand in a campervan. New Zealand is a country best explored by vehicle because much of its beauty and charm is in the journey, not necessarily the destination. Traveling by campvervan was a great fit for us since we have one back home and have fully embraced #vanlife — we miss you, Ashok! We were also excited that the van would bring us a sense of familiarity, and having been away for a couple months at this point, we were ready for a small taste of home.
Deciding where to go and how to spend our time across New Zealand was a challenge. There is just so much to see and do! Some people spend months exploring New Zealand, and we only had two weeks. We ultimately decided to split our time ~60% South Island and ~40% North Island.
We loved that the campervan gave us the freedom and flexibility to adjust our route as we went along, but there were two challenges we had not anticipated. The first was that freedom camping (called dispersed camping in the US, essentially camping anywhere outside of a paid RV park or campsite) was not as easy as people made it out to be. If you have ever chatted with someone who has done a campervan trip in New Zealand or read anything online, you may have gotten the impression that you can park your van pretty much anywhere and camp for the night with no issues - but this was not the case for us. After doing some further research and speaking with locals, it sounds as though the rules have become more strict over the last few years due to an increase in the popularity of campervan trips in New Zealand. At the end of the day, we were always able to find somewhere to sleep, it was just a little more difficult than we expected. The second challenge was that internet and cellular connection was extremely limited throughout the trip, which made it difficult to research our route and plan our days in advance.
Challenges aside, we had an incredible experience exploring New Zealand! One thing we were super grateful for was that we snagged an automatic van, which are very limited. We were prepared for the adventure of driving a manual, but we knew it would be much more enjoyable if we could get an automatic. We were told the chances were low when we made our reservation, but with the help from Kate at the rental office, we were able to get one! Thanks, Kate!
South Island
We started in Christchurch, where we spent a day exploring the city and enjoying its European architecture. Based on a recommendation from our friend, Matt Boyce, who spent some time living in NZ, we checked out what soon became one of our favorite coffee shops, C1 Espresso, where food was delivered through pneumatic tubes, water was dispensed through a sewing machine, and the path to the bathroom included a moving bookshelf. It was an experience to remember! From there, we picked up our van and we were off. Over the next two weeks, we traveled to a new spot each day, so in this blog, we will focus on some of the highlights without going into too much detail about each and every day.
After loading up the van with groceries from our new favorite grocery store, Pak’nSave (think Costco but regular quantities), we started the drive towards our first camping spot at Lake Pukaki, just south of Christchurch.
Little did we know, our first spot would end up being our favorite of the trip. We loved this spot because it was fully dispersed along the lakefront, meaning we could park our van anywhere and there was ample space between our van and the other campers. We had an incredible view of the bright blue lake and Mount Cook peeking through in the background right from our van. This area is also an International Dark Sky Reserve, which made for some pretty incredible stargazing.
We headed to Mount Cook, the highest mountain in NZ, for our first full day in the van. We hiked the Hooker Valley Track, a 6-mile hike through the mountains and rolling hills surrounding Mount Cook. The hike ended at Hooker Lake, a glacial lake with a great view of Mount Cook (when the weather cooperates). We were lucky enough to have good weather on our way out to the lake, and we were able to take a break to enjoy our packed lunches of homemade chicken salad sandwiches. It rained pretty much the entire way back, but it was definitely worth it!
Leaving Mount Cook behind, we ventured to the Central Otago region to explore the many vineyards and charming small towns. The region is primarily known for Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir wines — and they were incredible! We stopped at a few different wineries and our favorite was Mora. We had the pleasure of chatting with Vick, the Cellar Door Manager. She peppered us with stories about Central Otago and generously filled our glasses all the while trying to keep her playful puppy under control behind the counter. Connecting with a local and learning about life in New Zealand while indulging in delicious wine was definitely a highlight of our trip.
Our next stop was Queenstown, the adventure capital of the South Island. Queenstown is nestled against the backdrop of beautiful mountains (aptly named, The Remarkables) and a massive lake, offering quite the panorama! While we did not partake in any of the extreme sports or activities offered, we did partake in the food and culture. We went to the famous Fergburger for… you guessed it… a burger! It was one of the better burgers we’ve ever had. We enjoyed it so much that we went back to their bakery, Fergbaker, in the morning for pies! Britt had her favorite NZ pie here — curry flavored!
Next, we made our way to Wanaka, another quaint town surrounded by a beautiful lake with mountains in the background (catching a theme here?). As everyone who visits Wanaka does, we checked out the “famous” Wanaka tree, a tree that grows in the lake all by itself. To be honest, it wasn’t all that great, but we think it’s because the tree was vandalized in recent years and is no longer as stunning as it once was. We were very excited to go on a few hikes around Wanaka, but the weather had different plans. Instead, we opted to find a local campsite to enjoy the nature. Our campsite, Outlet Camp Wanaka, was our only formal campsite of our trip. Staying here gave us access to hot showers, grilling equipment, and a full kitchen. We had a great time and we were able to enjoy the surrounding nature despite the weather.
One of our final stops on the South Island was Fiordland National Park where we visited Milford Sound. After a lot of research, we realized there was not much to do in this area aside from a few small hikes and a cruise through the sound. We opted for a bit of each and enjoyed the cruise through the fiords that went out to the mouth of the fiord which opened up to the Tasman Sea. We spotted some dolphins along the way and got up close and personal with one of the waterfalls. Looking back, we aren’t sure if we would opt to do this cruise again as you can see a lot of it from the parking lot, but it was nice to learn more about the history through the guided tour. If we were to do it again, we would likely go for the helicopter ride.
Our time exploring the South Island was unforgettable. From camping next to turquoise lakes to hiking among beautiful mountains, indulging in delicious pies, and sipping local wines, we were enthralled by the beauty and charm of New Zealand's South Island.
North Island
Getting from the South Island to the North Island was an adventure on its own! We made the journey by ferry from Picton to Wellington, crossing the Cook Strait. The Cook Strait is said to have some of the roughest waters, but we were lucky to have a pretty smooth trip. We arrived bright and early in New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, and spent a day exploring the popular Te Papa Museum. This was one of the most impressive museums we have ever visited! There were many interactive exhibits, including an earthquake simulation, volcano demonstrations, and an immersive WWI exhibit filled with massive wax figures that told personal stories from the war.
We found a camping spot along the lake and ended up parking next to a lovely Canadian family traveling with their 6-month-old daughter. They were headed to the South Island the next day after spending one month on the North Island, and we spent the evening chatting, trading recommendations, and sharing two bottles of wine. Given our limited internet access while in NZ, we essentially had no plan for our time on the North Island. Thankfully, Peter and Robin were not stingy with their recommendations and really helped lay the foundation for how we were going to spend our time. We can’t thank them enough!
As we drove through the North Island, it was apparent why Peter Jackson chose NZ as a filming location for Lord of the Rings. Although we didn't visit the actual LOTR movie set, called “Hobbiton”, we could imagine what it would have been like as just driving along made us feel like we were stepping into a fantasy land. We loved all of the rolling green hills with cows and sheep grazing as far as the eye could see. Yes, we tried to pet the sheep. And no… they didn’t let us.
One of our favorite stops on the North Island was a beach town called Mount Maunganui, where we happened to be during the Wing Foiling world championships. We first noticed that there was some sort of water competition taking place while we were hiking to the top of Mount Maunganui, and when we got back to the beach we headed over to check it out. We were intrigued by this relatively new water sport and we spent the rest of the day on the beach watching the wing foilers in action. The Wing Foiling budget must still be quite small because the announcers were just the competitors taking turns in between their heats. We really enjoyed learning about a new sport and we are now minimally versed in Wing Foiling!
Our North Island adventure concluded in Auckland, where we stayed in a shared Airbnb hosted by a lovely couple from Seville, Spain. Claudia and Borja moved to Auckland to study English and take a break from their busy lives back home working in television and film — Claudia was a costume designer and Borja worked in production. We instantly connected with them and we spent a memorable evening chatting and enjoying dinner and drinks together. It felt like we were spending time with old friends.
Throughout our time in New Zealand, we were constantly amazed by the diverse landscapes and scenery. From the beaches to the rolling hills to the mountains, every corner of the country had something unique to offer. Although we zipped through the two islands relatively quickly (~2600 miles in 14 days), we were able to see a lot. We also came to the realization that the beauty of New Zealand is just as much in the journey as the destination. While driving, we were constantly finding ourselves in awe and we were never in a rush to get to the next place. Stopping along the way to soak up the scenery, grab a pie in a small town, or have a chat with a local was all part of the magic. We’ll remember our trip fondly, especially all the people we met along the way. Meeting people (Vick, Robin, Peter, Claudia, Borja, and more!) was absolutely a highlight as it had been some time since we had really connected with anyone aside from each other, and it was more than we could have asked for!
