It’s finally time for the New Zealand roadtrip! After touch down in Christchurch and a bit of airport “camping” we pick up our Wicked Campervan and we’re on our way! We’ll spend the next six weeks living out of our campervan as we tour both the South island and the North Island.
Our arrival in Christchurch is mostly all prep for the next weeks. Picking up the campervan, hitting up KMart for camping essentials, cleaning up previously used and “donated” goods from Wicked Camper, and surprise visits to the hospital.
A six week whirlwind tour gives us enough time to visit almost everywhere we want to go and we’ll detail it in futures episodes: Timaru, Oamaru, Moeraki, Dunedin, Invercargill, Fiordland National Park, Manapouri, Te Anau, Queenstown, Cardona, Wanaka, Tekapo, Glaciers, Hokitika, Punakaiki and then North to Picton.
In Picton we can hop aboard the Bluebridge Ferry to Wellington where we can continue driving North toward Auckland with stops along the way for plenty of hiking and camping.
We can finally start the South Island New Zealand Campervan Road trip for real! We’ll be exploring around Canterbury and Otago regions. Before we do that though, thought it might be interesting to give a tour of what a budget campervan looks like from Wicked Campers. #vanlife
Within the Canterbury and Otago areas, we’ll be making stops at:
Mt Sunday (Edoras from Lord of the Rings), Canterbury
Lake Tekapo, Canterbury
Kakanui Free Campsite , Otago
Moeraki Boulders, Otago
We will however not be going to Lake Pukaki because we didn’t realize it was just a short drive West from Lake Tekapo. We know- it’s very sad :(
Time to Campervan roadtrip around the Catlins in New Zealand! Lot’s of really cool stuff to check out in the Catlins. In this episode:
Nugget Point- Finney becomes an expert on albatrosses.
Jacks Blowhole- Finney becomes an expert on blowholes.
Purakaunui Bay- Tim finds the best beach in New Zealand.
Cathedral Caves- Finney becomes an expert on racing waves.
Weir Beach- A great camping spot about as south as it gets in New Zealand.
Stuck in the mud!- Tim, objectively the worlds greatest driver, finally meets his match.
Slope Point- Southernmost point in New Zealand. Windy. Cold. Absurd.
Heading North from Slope Point it’s finally time to campervan in the Fiordland National Park of the South Island New Zealand. Surprise- It’s full of sand flies. Even the viscous swarms couldn’t ruin the beauty of Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound. (Maybe a little bit though) This week's agenda we’re visiting:
Lookout Point
South Arm Campsite
Mt. Burns Hike in the Rain
Mirror Lake in Milford Sound
Key Summit Hike in Milford Sound
Retreating from Sand Flies
Searching for Kea in Milford Sound
Monowai Campsite
Queenstown New Zealand- the adventure capital of the world. But you don't get "highlight reel" from us. As a matter of fact... far from it...
Take a hike up Mt. Roy on a beautiful day in Wanaka with us.
You might even learn how to treat sand fly bites.
The West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is beyond beautiful. There is a site to see on every turn as we continue our road trip.
In this episode you'll easily spot 27 different waterfalls,
14 different types of forests,
11 outfit changes,
4 different types of climates,
AND A GOOD ATTITUDE!
oh.... and surprise. Tim found a cave.
Last week on the South Island of New Zealand in Abel Tasman on our campervan roadtrip! Don’t worry….we luck out and it rains almost the entire time.
Come with us as we go cockle hunting with locals. Don’t know what a cockle is? Neither did we!
We’ll also explore bits of the Abel Tasman track through the National Park and spend some time on Apple Beach.
One of the coolest places we visited in New Zealand was Pupu Springs (Te Waikoropupū Springs). In this completely impossible to pronounce area visitors can check out the purest water outside of Antarctica.
It’s the last week of our 6 week New Zealand campervan road trip! Before heading to Auckland we take some time to explore the Coromandel Peninsula including Cathedral Cove (Te Whanganui-A-Hei) Marine Reserve and Hot Water Beach(in Mercury Bay).
There’s also time to squeeze in one last quick hike up along Mount Paku Summit as well. While a beautiful lookout in it’s own right we can’t help but feel like after the Tongariro Alpine Crossing everything else just feels kind of...well...not the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. That might be something to keep in mind when you’re planning your own NZ trip.
To really cap off the NZ experience we spent our last night camping in a sheep paddock while we cleaned out our campervan. Not sure it gets more NZ than that.
New Zealand: You are a complicated, beautiful mistress. You reward visitors with unparalleled natural beauty but you punish with rain and sand flies. The price is worth it. (And, since we paid our speeding ticket from our friends in Hokitika, we’ll be allowed back to visit someday in the future.)
We’re taking you along on one of the most quintessential things to do in New Zealand- The Tongariro Alpine Crossing. We thought the Tongariro day hike was the best hike we did during our six week visit to New Zealand. That’s probably the least controversial opinion anyone could have by the way. On the trek, hikers get to see volcanoes, march up Mt Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe), and visit Red Crater, Blue Lake and the Emerald Lakes.
The hike is doable in one day although you need to be fit and keep moving. We started the hike at 10AM and definitely were some of the last people to try to finish the entire trek that day. Starting earlier is HIGHLY recommended. Also, if you’re planning on doing this hike- bring a lot of water and dress appropriately. While it may be sunny and hot at the start of the trek by the time you get to your first volcano you’ll find yourself shivering.
How much does it cost to travel New Zealand? We were able to spend 45 days touring both islands for around $4,000 total! That’s less than $50 per person per day!
In the video we breakdown the amount we spent on our car rental, groceries, fuel, campsites, eating out, cellphone, and miscellaneous costs. Additionally, we discuss where we feel like we could have saved money and where we wish we had spent more.
New Zealand Campervan Road Trip- North and South Island on a Budget
All our New Zealand videos in one. Come along on the entire 6 week road trip and live the vanlife. Where are we heading? Out to do the best New Zealand has to offer while trying to keep our budget under $50 a person a day. During these six weeks we’ll freeze our butts off, experience nonstop rain, and be eaten alive by sandflies. We also:
-Check out Milford Sound, Moeraki Boulders, Mt Sunday, Tongariro Alpine Trek, Nugget Point, Fiordland, Mt Roy Trek, Franz Joseph Glacier and more!
-Visit Christchurch,Canterbury, Timaru, Oamaru, Moeraki, Dunedin, Invercargill, Manapouri, Te Anau, Queenstown, Cardona, Wanaka, Tekapo, Hokitika, Punakaiki and Picton.
-Take you for a tour of our Wicked Camper.