To start off I should say that New Zealand has a very special aura. The energy that you feel as soon as you walk off the plane is a feeling I’ll never forget. My time in New Zealand began as a six month trip, after which I would be returning home to carry on life as normal. The experiences I had in the following months after my arrival quickly secured the idea in my mind that this would not only be a six month trip. In fact during this time I came to terms with the fact that I will never be going home to live my old life…

My trip began on the South Island in the city of Christchurch. Upon my arrival I had really never heard of this city other than the earthquake which had decimated parts of the city about two years before I arrived. Many sites were still undergoing huge restoration projects which showed how devastating the quake had been. Before I arrived I knew I wanted to get a van and drive it around until I ran out of money and had to work (I had a working holiday visa valid for one year). So this meant finding a van for sale which wasn’t going to exhaust all of my savings which was about $7000 nzd. I scoured lots of different apps and websites (mainly backpacker board & trademe) and had a hard time finding anything in my price range. So me and my mates went down to an industrial estate we’d found on google maps which looked like there were a few car lots/mechanics. This turned out to be a great move as we found a hoard of older vans for sale which had all been used for camping in the past. And the prices were super low compared to those advertised online. I found an awesome high top Nissan Caravan for $3000 and there it was, home for the next few months at least.

Leaving Christchurch with extreme anticipation we couldn’t wait to see what NZ had in store for us. As soon as the city glow faded in the rear view mirror, the true beauty of New Zealand shone bright. I couldn’t stop taking photos and videos. I’d never been anywhere with such extreme levels of natural wonderment so around every corner there was a new photo opportunity. We had no time constraints, no rush. Just the money left in our pockets and the whole country to see, which after the first day’s drive across Arthurs Pass left us wondering how much better can it get.

Road tripping NZ is the way to go. Being able to stop where and when you want to make memories and eat as many delicious gas station pies as you want is so valuable. It is amazing what you can find off the beaten path. There are so many little turn offs from the main road which more often than not take you to hidden gems that the masses miss on their trips. The south island round trip took about 3 weeks to complete.

Touring around the north island has just as much diversity in the landscape as the south. Here you can find rolling rainforest/jungle, rolling grassy hills like that of Hobbiton and the further north you travel the more tropical the land becomes. The northland is truly exceptional. A must visit in my opinion because it is so different from the rest of the country. Heading up to the most northern point, Cape Reinga you will pass gigantic sand dunes that are so big you could call them mountains. They rent out boogie boards that you can ride down the sand dunes with your buddies and it is just the best fun. The ocean’s never far away and the coastal hikes are impeccable. Heading from there to the bay of islands you will find no shortage of things to do. From natural hot springs, waterfalls and caves to search through, you will thrive in the beautiful temperature and scenery.

Now, the North Island is a very different place to the south island. The South island is home to only 23% of NZ’s population so you can imagine how the vibe switches as soon as you arrive in Wellington on the ferry over. Straight into the hustle and bustle. For me, the culture of New Zeaalnd was far more evident on the north island. The Maori culture is impossible to miss, as are the biker gangs who you will see cruising around. For any visitors the first time you see this it is incredibly intimidating. But they are not going to bother you providing you aren’t bothering them so avoid staring excessively.

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Travelling New Zealand in a van does come with some downsides… The places where you are officially allowed to stay overnight in your camper van or camper car are designated freedom camping spots. Camping anywhere else is seen as illegal unless you're paying for a campsite spot. These free spots are divided into two categories, the first being for self contained vehicles only which means you need to have a toilet on board and a blue sticker on your rear bumper informing the rangers that you are indeed self contained. Self contained vehicles usually cost a lot more money than the non self contained ones. There are more self contained only sites than non self contained so planning your trip to make sure you stay at the appropriate site is key. There are a few very handy apps which will make this a breeze. The first is called CamperMate which is the most user friendly and easy to understand app. The other is MyMaps which is slightly more outdated than Campermate. Honestly Campermate has everything you will ever need on it so I’d just use that one.

Now of course there are ways around these camping rules… if you are in a remote area or even a built up area and there aren't any camp spots around that are suitable for your vehicle, you will have to become a stealth camper. This basically means you need to be invisible inside your camper. The only way a ranger can fine you is if they can prove you are inside the vehicle. So If you have all your windows blacked out or curtains drawn so that nobody can see inside, then you can’t really receive a fine. These fines are hefty, up to $250 so you want to avoid them at all costs. 

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