Has anyone been there, done that, learned a lesson and found a bargain?

Ta

We used Hippie Campers in Oz but they have vans in NZ, too. The vans were pretty good but the company were awful to deal with. They added extra charges after we returned the van and it was signed in OK, took the money from our card and won’t do anything now we are home. We also used Wicked Campers who were the exact opposite, pretty shonky vans but nice people who really tried to help. Both at the budget end. We needed to book well in advance to get a bargain.

hi,

i lived in NZ for a year back in 2003, spent a good few weeks/months in a campervan. then towards the end of the trip we bought a cheap car and stayed in hostels/b&b’s

to be honest, the capervan was cramped, cold and it stank after 3 days and its a pain in the arse clearing up then having to put the beds down etc etc – and was a dog to drive.

the cheap car and hostel/b&b combo worked much better.

just my 5p worth.

I would recommend buying a stationwagon/estate car n using that. Friend of mine came over and when he told me what he was paying for his campervan I was gobstruck.

cheap car and hostel/hotel

nz is very strict and you cant just rock up and camp at the side of the road – too many folk for that.

so the advantages of a camper are lost.

nz is very strict and you cant just rock up and camp at the side of the road – too many folk for that. so the advantages of a camper are lost.

That’s a shame. That’s was one of the best things about campervanning in oz. We had so many nights with nobody within tens of miles of us.

there are doc campsites – which are designated areas in wilderness with a long drop toilet and a fire pit

id buy a very cheap tent for this experiance tbh

We did it for 4 weeks a couple of years ago and found loads of places to stay for free. Some local by-laws do restrict it but read the parking signs, keep the area clean and don’t dispose of waste in a harmful manner!! We used campsites every 3 days or so to fill up with water, use a proper shower, empty the toilet etc. You can empty toilets at most campsites but they charge you more to do this than stay for the night so it is a no-brainer really.
Here is a short guide:
NZ Tourism
We used Jucy Rentals and found them very helpful. Vans were well used but they were very helpful, van was clean and everything worked as it should!
Took us a few days to get into free camping but stayed in some excellent places! It is worth getting somewhere by about 4/5pm and if you can’t find a free camping place you still have time to get to a proper site.
These sites are good but can be expensive: Top10 but there is also a website/association for staying on peoples drive ways/land, I just can’t find it at the moment.

We had no issues free camping, get a good map (we had a touring map from a petrol station which indicated loads of campsites, also it had places of interest marked like seal viewing points etc etc) and just drive! We visited at least 10 places that we hadn’t planned on doing because they were marked as pengiun or wildlife viewing on the map and we saw some awesome sights!
Anyway have fun!!

splitty

We hired the 1966 VW campervan in the link. It was ace! Never had any trouble finding places to stay, and the DOC sites are great.

Used Jucy in oz for a camper, but have used them in NZ for cars too. No problems. Camper was one of the Previa type which was fine for what it was – if it’ll be hot then bring a big mosquito net as you’ll want the windows open.

We toured NZ for 3 months in a van we bought in Auckland at the Racecourse car market (Was it ellersleigh?) paid 5k NZD for it, sold it for 6k because I kitted it out myself with some tools I hired from a B+Q and bought a few plastic boxes n stuff. Was brill for three months. We often camped in urban streets, locals would offer us tea and water, some locals became really good friends and we camped in their gardens.

We never paid for camping once apart from the DOC sites, otherwise we free camped everywhere. You can free camp if you are a long way away from towns/civilization. We got the best recommendations from policemen.

Pissed in bucket, emptied in public loos, often went to offies/small convenience stores to buy food beer and asked if they would freeze out chilly blocks for the night.

We met loads of others in vans, did loads of surfing, met loads of friendly kiwis and had the time of our lives.

We used Escape Campers and DOC sites mainly. We also camped at the side of the road on a few occasions without an issue. Van was just a nice size for 2, no frills, just a bed and a bit of storage space.

http://www.escaperentals.co.nz/

This is a DOC site at Waihi Gorge, south of Christchurch

Tawharanui Open Sanctuary (TOSSI), North Island

We used Jucy when we went last year. No complaints and the cheapest we found.

You can sort out a relocation for much cheapness with somme of the bigger ones if you’re going A to B though. Did it a few years ago and it was great.

We used Wicked campers twice in Oz. I think they are now in NZ. Good service. Good van if you are not looking for anything special. We just had it as a bed all the time.

Ellerslie Car Fair Auckland at the Ellerslie Race Course

Heres one.

how much did people pay to hire camper vans out there? i’m going for a month in november

I think we paid about £400 for 3 weeks hire in 2006, from mid October to mid November. November will start to get more expensive as the season starts then.

Gazc – our Jucy rental was about £1100 for 3 weeks but we were in the height of their summer over xmas/new year…….

cheers, £500 for the 3 weeks would seem reasonable but if i can’t find a similar deal i’ll be camping in a NZ version of tesco tent 😉

Just had a quick look at Escape and the rental isn’t too different to what we paid on 2006, unfortunately the exchange rate is not as good as it was in 2006. About £750 for 4 weeks in Nov.

We just did it for 3 weeks back in April for a honeymoon.
We were on South Island only but used Maui Campers.

The van was completely faultless and the company were too. I’d recommend them to anyone.

R

Ex-pat kiwi here.

Went back for 3weeks over last Christmas and took the English missus, so toured around the country. Knowing the lay of the land, my preferred option was tent and cheap rental car. NZ Car Hire 2000 is cheap and although not at the airport, they’r enot far away and will pick you up and drop you off. Cars are used Japanese imports, but that’s the sort of car most kiwis drive. A brand new Hertz rental car stands out as a tourist.

Camp sites are really well specced. Most we went to would loan cooking utensils, pots, pans, everything, and provided free cooking facilities, fridges etc. Most campsites also have cabins available. So, you just need clothes and sleeping equipment. No need for a camper with all the kit.

If you’re staying for extended period, buying and selling a van or car can make sense as per toys19 experience. But you take all the risk on depreciation, and potential mechanical failure.

With regard to proper campers, everyone I’ve ever known to hire one, myself included, has damaged it. They’re a lot bigger and more unweildly than a normal car. Easy to forget how high they are above your head and there’s lot’s of trees with low hanging braches, plus many other hazards. I would strongly advise taking any collision damage waiver policy so you can just hand it back in pieces at the end of the hire.

Freedom camping, parking up overnight wherever you please, is now technically illeagal I believe. But realistically, you’re unlikely to get caught, or prosecuted. Take your rubbish with you, keep NZ beautiful.

In NZ, don’t speed and don’t drink drive. You WILL be caught and fined or prosecuted.

Enjoy.

I’ve used both Maui and Adventure – both at the expensive end. Former are new vans but are priced accordingly, latter are a few years old but still fine. As others have said, mix of free camping (in south is. can stop many places if you truck up at dusk and are gone early the next morning)and occasional commercial site to empty toilets, have a nice shower & do the washing!

We tended to book one size van up from what we needed so the beds could stay made up and still have a dining area. It also gets very busy in their summer Jan/Feb so need to book well in advance.

Make sure you take your bike – it’s an awsome country for cycling!

With regard to proper campers, everyone I’ve ever known to hire one, myself included, has damaged it. They’re a lot bigger and more unweildly than a normal car.

Old VWs aren’t! Stopping it is a bit of a challenge, though.

We used Discover NZ, based just outside Christchurch (We picked up our van one day before the quake in feb, and dropped it off the day after the quake in japan).

They were great guys to deal with, and for the money we got a superb van – a 3 year old transit conversion with toilet/shower.

3 weeks cost us about £1500

*EDIT*: oh and make sure you hire a bike in Queenstown with a pass to the gondola – basically a ski lift with some awesome downhill trails!

@ransos

Old VW’s aren’t proper campers.

Style in spades. By any other measure, useless. Pay a preimium for the privilege.

Oh, and don’t forget the right hand rule 😕

http://www.aa.co.nz/aadirections/driver/Pages/The-Right-Hand-Rule.aspx

Good advice above. It has been a bit of a political hot potato lately to try and stamp out free camping so you can’t be quite as brazen as you used to. Self contained campers have more freedom than if you’re having to “offload” in the grass beside the site.

You can also find a bit more of a bargain if you start in the south and head north. The majority of visitors fly into Auckland, pick up the transport then drive south and fly the return leg. As a result places like Queenstown and Christchurch have huge stock that they need to get shifted back north. All my University holidays were spent couriering vehicles from Christchurch to Picton where they were picked up off the ferry to continue they journey north.

Try phoning a few of the companies and ask if they have any relocation offers going.

And can’t stress enough the importance of good insurance, roads are good but theres plenty of things to drive into especially if you’re not familiar with the vehicle size. And don’t think about drinking while in charge, even to the point that the keys are not in the ignition, or on your person etc if you are camping up and having a couple before bed.

Old VW’s aren’t proper campers.

Style in spades. By any other measure, useless. Pay a preimium for the privilege.

So it’s a campervan, but not a proper camper?

I used one to go camping in, for 4 weeks. Double bed, sofa, heater, hob, hot water and proper fridge. Pop up top for headroom, and a large awning that could be attached around the side doors.

From what I saw, the interior was far better thought out than some of the modern campers.

So how was it useless?

trying to remember the company i hired a car off in auckland but it was 7 dollars a day …. iirc it was 3quid a day at the time ….

auto box 1.5 mazda 323 …. gutless as owt but fine for what we needed – a wee tour of the northern north island – was far far too busy for us to cycle comfortably up there – even in the car it was dicy !

Used the same firm as ransos fairly pricy but a great way to travel picked up in Auckland dropped off in Christchurch 5 weeks in total well worth it ended buying a vw camper when I got back.
Double bed cooker sink and hot water fridge with an outside shower

Driving down the West Coast by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Soaking up the sun by Richard Munro, on Flickr

and again by Richard Munro, on Flickr

I would strongly recomend that you avoid Allday Car Rentals. Broke down twice, then I found a large hole in the floor. Took a lot of effort to get another van…