Information please for 2 pensioners touring New Zealand in a campervan?

Question

Also would like to buy 2 2nd hand (cheap) bikes in Christchurch to give to charity in Auckland when finished. Any advice would be welcome.

Answer 1

I will ask my wife she toured in New Zealand will get back again tomorrow. if not I am busy and E.mail me since have German lessons tomorrow. she bought a car and worked there for a while and still has friends there

Answer 2

my partner and I (both of us pensioners) spent a month touring all round New Zealand a couple of years ago, but we opted to hire a car and stay in hostels - there's a network of hostels all over New Zealand (have a look at http://www.bbh.co.nz/) and it's not just youngsters who use them, there were older people there too - with one exception (a hostel that wasn't a member of BBH incidentally) all the hostels were clean, comfortable and friendly - I lost my purse at one BBH hostel and they found it a couple of days later, so they put a message on the BBH grapevine and the manager of the next hostel we booked into told me, and I arranged to have them post it on to me to yet another hostel we were going to a few days later, so how's that for service !!

when we crossed from the North Island to the South Island you can't take a hire vehicle on the ferry, you drop it off at the ferry terminal at one side and they have another vehicle waiting for you at the other - we hired the first vehicle in Auckland, dropped it off at Wellington, got another one at the other side and dropped that one off in Christchurch

we saw camper vans on the way round and I felt a bit jealous as there were lots of lovely parking areas and it seems camper vans can pull in and stay overnight there - when we'd priced it out before we went, we came to the conclusion that the camper van option was more expensive than the hostels which is why we did it that way

New Zealand is not by any means a high crime place, but one thing that did make me wonder was the lack of mobile signal once you're away from any built-up area (which is most of the time when you're on the road) and I wondered what we would do if we hit any problems - fortunately we didn't hit any crisis and also people are very friendly and very helpful - but I wonder what I would have felt like on a parking area miles from anywhere, all alone and no mobile signal - oh, and do observe the speed restrictions, my partner got a speeding ticket when we got back hahaha

expect the locals to know about UK than you know about New Zealand - the receptionist in the first hostel we stayed in on arrival had an uncle who lived two streets away from us in London

we had a fabulous time and I've lots of fantastic memories of that trip - not least because there is just so much space (I mean, a total resident population of less than greater London spread over both islands) - my most fantastic memory is driving down the 90 mile beach right at the north tip of the north island (highly recommend it, but take the bus trip, don't do it in your own vehicle) - all of our trip was interesting in some way or another, the Bay of Islands, Queenstown, the fjordland and the Homer Tunnel and I can honestly say there wasn't anywhere I disliked, was scruffy, or where I felt uncomfortable

my photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/49617082@N0...

make sure any spare footwear you pack is sparkling clean - I packed my walking boots which were a bit muddy and a rather fed-up immigration official had to go and scrub them - they are very very picky about trying not to import seeds and disease so everything has to be pristine clean - if you're taking any camping gear (e.g. tents) with you, it's best to buy brand new ones to take with you as otherwise they will insist they're opened and shaken before they'll let them in the country - and for the same reason be careful of anything thats made of leather

have a great time

Answer 3

I can only endorse all of the information left by Carina and Melissa A.  One of the biggest mistakes tourists often make when visiting New Zealand is that because our reputation is one of a nation that is relatively safe when compared with other western, developed countries, people do sometimes fall into the trap of not taking all of the necessary safety precautions needed as tourists travelling a foreign country.  Make sure that you do all those commonsense measures that you would when travelling anywhere in the world.  This will make for a happier and more enjoyable experience!  :-))

I live in Wellington, so unfortunately I can't help with tips for cheap bikes in Christchurch, although it looks like you may be getting some good help coming through!

All the best for your Kiwi adventure.  Hope you have a great time!

Answer 4

As far as donating the bikes goes here are a couple of well known trustworth charity organisations that would gladly give the bikes to worthy people

salvationarmy.org.nz

aucklandcitymission.org.nz

You don't specifically say what info you are after, I suggest this:

google.co.nz   look up campervans & whatever company names come up - email them and ask whatever advice you are wanting

go to the lonely planet website and join their forum discussion board, you can ask questions and connect up with travellers that have travelled here in the past via campervan

Also are you are elderly try this organisation for advice:

Grey Power New ZealandGrey Power New zealand is Lobby organization promoting the welfare and well-being of all those citizens in the 50 plus age group.

www.greypower.co.nz

Answer 5

Hi.  :-)  

I hope you have a great time here in NZ.  

Have you a lot of experience driving a campervan?  The reason I ask is that some of our roads are not great - steep, windy and narrow.  I am a regular long distance driver around the North Island, and I honestly would not want to drive some of these roads in a campervan.  However, having said that, lots of people seem to manage it so maybe I'm just a wimp.  Please just remember to check your mirrors regularly and pull over as often as possible to let the traffic behind you get past.  Also, rest a lot.  As soon as you feel yourself getting even a little bit fatigued, take a break.  The roads here are largely roads that you really need to be able to concentrate on when you're driving.

You can look on www.trademe.co.nz for second hand bikes - ebay never really took off here, most people use trademe.

NZ is a country like any other.  Crime exists.  Last summer, there were two incidents in my small city where tourists lost belongings.  One group had left their wallets, passports etc in their unlocked car while they went swimming.  Another group left valuables in their tent while they went into town.  I think that when people are on holiday it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.  It's easy to feel like an observer rather than a participator, and therefore not recognise that there is a need to be security conscious.  So please, be careful with your belongings!

What time of year will you be here?  Summer really is fabulous - I'd say from early December through till late March.  That way you'd get to admire the fabulous mountain ranges and scenery as well as being able to get the most from the beaches... ooooh, the beaches.  If you go swimming, ALWAYS swim between the flags, and NEVER swim in a calm spot on a surf beach (indicates a rip).

I've had friends come over from Europe in winter, and they loved it here at that time of year, but it did mean no swimming and shorter days.  

Sights and things-to-do that I'd recommend :

- Bay of Islands, Kerikeri, Russell, Waitangi etc (Northland)

- Auckland Zoo

- Coromandel

- Cook Landing site, Gisborne

- The National Aquarium, Napier

- Bulls (if you like puns, it's the punniest place on the planet in a cheesy yet fabulous kind of way)

- Te Papa, Wellington.  

- Geo-thermal springs etc in Rotorua.  Taupo is definitely worth a look too.

- Wine trail in Marlborough, or a boat trip through the Marlborough sounds

- Whale watching in Kaikoura

- Queenstown is very expensive and a tourist trap, but it's still very beautiful and well worth a visit.

I haven't been to the rest of the South Island for many years, so wont offer advice there.

It may pay to shop around rental companies - I've had friends who've hired both campervans and rental cars and have had no problem taking them on the ferry.  Just be aware that it is VERY expensive to take a vehicle on the InterIslander.

You'll find that a lot of NZers have lived in the UK or in other countries abroad.  It's like a rite of passage for us.  I love NZ, it's my home and I'm very proud of it.  It's a fantastic holiday destination.  Just remember that like any place on earth, there are negatives here, too, so don't take any unnecessary risks.

Have a great time!  I'm sure you will. :-)

Answer 6

This is the best place to get information on campervan travel around New Zealand.

http://www.newzealandatoz.com/index.php?...

Enjoy your trip.

Answer 7

I would purchase the bikes off NZ's most popular trading website, Trademe.

Answer 8

What type of information are you seeking?  As for campervan travel, take it slow and allow plenty of time between destinations for "dealing" with the campervan.  I found going by car much better, as I had so much more freedom and less stress.  I know a lot about NZ, so feel free to ask!

Answer 9

The website most Kiwis use to buy and sell online is Trademe.  http://www.trademe.co.nz   If you will have internet access in NZ you could try that.  Otherwise I would expect the Christchurch Press on a Saturday would very likely have ads for bikes.  More than  any other town in NZ Christchurch is a cycling town.  I'm not living in Christchurch, so can't find the details but I think there is some sort of recycle place attached to a city dump that sells all sorts of things, but I don't know if bikes are among them, and if they were they may not be good enough for you.  One retailer that sells cheap bikes is The Warehouse http://www.thewarehouse.co.nz a NZ retailer found in any sizable town.  They have bikes at a very reasonable price.  Obviously they are not the quality you would get in a cycle shop, but they might be good enough for your purposes.