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27 Days is just not enough!!!
to see this incredible country as there's so much to see, fun to be had and places to discover.
"Don't Count the Days Make the Days Count"
(Muhammad Ali)
Hi we are Karen and Michael of 2 on tour 4x4 and have just spent an amazing 27 days in New Zealand in a campervan as part of a 5.5 week trip including Sydney, Australia and Singapore.
New Zealand was a new destination for both us and so we did lots of research spoke to family and friends and eventually came up with the perfect itinerary for us. If you are like us you will love this!
We will share with you an authentic view from the perspective of two mature but young at heart travellers with the details of where we stayed, the activities we did and how much everything cost.
We wanted to tour in a campervan like the cool kids so we could freedom camp, sleep off the beaten track and not be tied to check in and check out times. You can see how we chose our campervan in our last blog here
So lets get into the details of this amazing trip and the adventures we had.
27 Days Touring New Zealand in a Campervan: The Ultimate Guide For the Mature but Young at Heart Traveller starts here. Let the fun begin!
Day 1 Auckland
After flying in to Auckland from Sydney with LATAM Airlines we checked in to the Imagine Beach Road Hotel for 2 nights sourced through booking.com costing £160 room only. At first we weren't sure if we had picked the right hotel as the approach was a bit tired but the rooms were great, modern and very comfortable.
Delaying collection of our campervan for 2 days worked well for us as we made the most of exploring the city on foot and by public transport. There was no difference in costs.
Our first stop was to look for somewhere to eat that's vegan only to realise it's the 2nd January and everywhere is closed! Bear this in mind if you also travel when it's the main holiday period as everywhere essentially shuts down until 6th january. We ended up with a takeaway cheeseless pizza on a park bench 😂 21,000 steps later. Hey Ho our research didn't tell us this!
Day 2 Auckland
It's easy to walk around the city and to catch the local buses which we did starting with breakfast at The Remedy Coffee House. Here we got a great vegan breakfast and two take away poke bowls for a picnic lunch. This is a very popular cafe and people queue for a table. You can use your currency card to tap on (contactless) and off the bus. Its important you tap off otherwise you pay for the full bus route!
Blue skies today meant the views would be good up Mount Eden, which is the highest volcano summit on the mainland. The crater is clear to see with a stunning 360 degree vista across Auckland. To get there take bus 27 from Britomart to stop 1870 (£2.75) and follow the signs. The climb to the summit doesn't take long but it is steepish so feels like a work out which is soon forgotten as you enjoy the vista. Near the top there are boardwalks and benches to rest and enjoy the view. The crater which is a sacred (Tapu) Maori site is 50m deep and covered in grass rather than filled with water as the rock is porous. This trip takes less than 1/2 day so plenty of time to explore the city. There's also a cafe at the bottom in the Visitors Centre for refreshments. The Centre has a small but informative interactive display about the history of the area.
Britomart is an area in the downtown waterfront district of Auckland. It's a cool place to be with cafes and restaurants, designer shops and art works. You can walk from here along to the Viaduct Marina and even further to the Silo Park. These are free things to do in an around Auckland.
The Silo Park area is where European settlers first arrived in 1840 and as the land was reclaimed it has been modernised with new apartments and businesses. The Silos are an interesting place as they are the old cement storage vats which are now an adventure park, outdoor cinema and art gallery.
Day 3 Collection of Lucy our Jucy Campervan
When you go to collect your campervan if its from Jucy don't be surprised if there are delays! We took an Uber (£25.50) for 10.30am to Auckland Airport Jucy Rental Depot, however, our campervan wasn't ready and wouldn't be until around 3pm. Not the best start!
It was clear the Jucy team were understaffed as others were delayed too so they gave us a loan car, offered to pay for lunch and then agreed to refund us a day's rental charge (minus the additional insurance payment) after we explained we had lost a day of our holiday.
We witnessed a similar scenario when we dropped our campervan off in Christchurch so book a full day for your van collection. We were refunded £59 for lunch and £158 from the rental.
Being flexible whilst touring is key and you make the most of everyday so whilst we had the hire car we visited Ponsonby a vintage upmarket town on the outside of Auckland CBD. It had a great vibe and even better we found a full vegan cafe that was really popular. The Little Bird Kitchen was fabulous - we even bought things to take with us - vegan feta cheese in olive oil - yummy! If you are not vegan we can still recommend Ponsonby as there were lots of great places to eat.
Ok campervan sorted off we go!
We drive to the east coast of the North Island towards Hot Water Beach staying at the Seabreeze Campsite. This was a great place to stay with really friendly staff and a great onsite bar/restaurant. It cost £20 per night and we stayed for 2 nights fully utilising the bar/food area.
Day 4 Coromandel and Driving Creek
The drive up to Coromandel is about an hour away from the Sea Breeze Campsite and then a further 2 hours back along Route 25. This circular route shows you amazing coastal views and beaches. The famous Cathedral Cove is there and although we didn't get to see this it could be worth visiting if you can cope with the steep steps down (and up!). Take care as this is a wild beach with no lifeguards and the path has only just been re-opened after previous landslides. It is advisable to check the Department of Conservation website first for safety.
Driving Creek is a really quirky place see the Barry Brickell narrow gauge railway and art studio. Some of the art was not our 'thing' but we were looking forward to taking the train through the forest. Sadly when we arrived the railway tour was fully booked up. So book your tickets in advance online if you are keen to see artists in residence work and the brainchild of an engineer turned artist.
The Coromandel Peninsula is beautiful and a highly recommended drive stopping off for a picnic lunch along the way, seeing the Tokatea Lookout or stopping in the historic town of Coromandel.
Hot Water beach in the evening is great fun as you borrow a shovel from the campsite head on down during the 2 hours either side of low tide and literally dig a hole!
As the thermal waters fill the hole sit and feel the warmth - trust us sometimes it can get very hot! If you are not lucky enough to find your own thermal spring just join others in theirs - no one minds 👏
Day 5 Rotorua
Next stop Rotorua a 3 hour journey approx 130 miles south. We had booked to stay in a Department of Conservation (DOC) site at Lake Rerewhakaaitu.
The DOC sites have minimal facilities often just toilets sometimes with washing up facilities and cold showers. To stay here you need to be certified self-sufficient and the charges are very reasonable. We decided to purchase a DOC pass each which was $95 each for 30 days. This meant you could camp for free at most of the DOC sites. The campsites are charged per adult and the ones we stayed at were normally between $10-20 per person. For the $190 we paid we would need to stay between 5-10 nights overall to break even. The money is going to support the overall conservation so it's worthwhile but you could just pay per person per night if you don't plan to use these sites very often. We stayed 5 nights overall in the 30 days totalling $130 and so didnt really get the full value of our passes. The campsites are checked by rangers too so make sure you book online..
Rotorua has so much to offer that you can spend several days here. It is well known for it's geothermal activity and the Maori Culture. There are walks, cycle tracks, spas and hot pools so much so it's difficult to hone down the choices when you are here for a day or so. Most people on tour would opt for the thermal spa and pools which is great fun or the Maori Village.
We previously visited the geothermal Blue Lagoon in Iceland so we preferred to see the Redwood Forest and complete the night walk. The 2 day offer package was £65 (for 2 of us) which included the day and night walks. The night walk was great walking the swing bridges seeing the light installations. However, after seeing this first we felt the day time walk was less exciting and so would suggest only take one walk leaving time for other things.
Observing the thermal activity as we drove back to the DOC campsite was fascinating.
Day 6 Redwood Forest Daytime Walk and Kerosene Creek
After a beautiful sunrise at Lake Rerewhakaaitu we headed back to the Redwood Forest. There is a shop selling authentic New Zealand gifts and a small cafe where you can buy good coffee and herbal teas.
The Redwoods Tree Walk and Nightlights eco-tour are multi award winning with 28 suspension bridges over 700 metres long. The walk way height varies from 6-20m high and has been constructed to cause no harm to the growing trees.
A 30 minute drive from the Redwood Tree Walk is Kerosene Creek. You drive down a gravel path and park up not far from the river. This is a natural thermal river with pools visited by locals and tourists alike. Climb into the pools and let the mineral waters wash over you. The smell of sulphur is pretty strong but you soon get used to it and of course this is free to all.
Day 7 Huka Falls and Lake Taupo
Rotorua to Lake Taupo is only a short journey taking about 1.5 hours so we could stop at the Huka Falls on the Waikato River en route. The water in the Huka Falls was the most brilliant turquoise and you can take a short 1.5 hour walk along side the river which on a blue sky day is fab. You can see the jet boat rides too but our recommendation would be to save this activity until you get to the Buller Gorge Canyon Jet Boat ride which is amazing - more on that later 👏.
Lake Taupo is a large volcanic crater lake with crystal clear water. We used the day to walk around the town, soak up the atmosphere and find some vegan food
When you are touring it is good to sometimes slow the pace and really enjoy the moment otherwise it's always about the next destination. This was a chill afternoon after the walk around the Huka Falls.
Havelock North was our nighttime destination. This was a paid for campsite where we could use the facilities to replenish our water, empty our grey and black waste but also do our laundry.
Te Mata Views Campsite was fabulous and only cost £13 for one night including electricity plus £4 for the laundry including the detergent. We definitely could have stayed here longer. The bar and lounge areas were excellent and it had its own swimming pool located in an orchard. The only downside for us was that there were no vegan food options in the bar but the food we saw looked amazing.
Day 8 Napier then to Wellington
Napier is a town on the East coast and is a fabulous Art Deco tribute.
This is the site of New Zealands deadliest earthquake killing 256 people in February 1931. The earthquake affected all of Hawkes Bay with 400 people requiring hospital treatment. The town was then rebuilt in the Art Deco style and has been preserved ever since by the local community.
You see many towns have a nod to this period especilly if you look above the street level and see the tops of buildings but nowhere we visited was as stunning as Napier. At street level many shops look more modern but in Napier everywhere including the street signs are Art Deco.
Take a look at the Art Deco Centre which provides great gifts and is run by volunteers.
Inside we met 'Harold' an ex RAF Chef who had a great story to tell about his life in the RAF (Real Air Force as he would say 😂) and how he married a Kiwi woman from the NZ Air Force. He had been volunteering for 14 years and booted and suited in clothes of the period he was a great fun person to talk to. ❤️
A fab place to eat in Napier is Ajuna Eatery where we had THE tastiest Tofu scramble with avocado and all the trimmings. Sitting on the pavement watching the world go by - perfect!
Sadly our time on the North Island was coming to an end and we started our 4 hour journey to Wellington City to catch the Bluebridge Ferry booked for 11pm to the South Island. Arriving at 7pm we received an email to say our ferry had been cancelled due to ongoing repairs!
Ferries in the peak period going between the two islands are booked up in advance so receiving this news was concerning. When would we get across now?
There are two main ferries operating: the Bluebridge Ferry and the Interisland Ferry with the Bluebridge one being slightly cheaper. We would suggest you book your ferry when you arrive in Auckland and be prepared to be flexible with the day.
We were offered a late night ferry for 24 hours later but our concern was what would happen if it was cancelled again. We looked just to see if there were any spaces on the Interisland Ferry and were amazed there was for the 2pm crossing the next day but it was £100 more expensive. We could get a refund from bluebridge with no quibble and so we decided to pay the extra and have a daytime crossing. Best decision ever!
It was now 8pm and we needed somewhere to park up for the night. We used an App called Campermate which is excellent and shows you all the campsites and if they are freedom ones or payable. You can book through the App too so once you know where you want to stay you can reserve your pitch. This is more crucial in peak periods and on the rare occasion campsites are fully booked which did happen to us.
We went to the Freedom campsite Evans Bay Marina Car Park close to the ferry terminal and actually got the last space available. You had to park in the bays and there was no allowance for just parking anywhere. A Ranger again came to check all vehicles first thing in the morning and your certificates. There were car park toilets which were spotless but you still had to be in a self-sufficient Campervan.
Day 9 Ferry to Picton and Kaikoura
The 3.5 hour sail from Wellington to Picton was on a blue sky day!
The scenery on the crossing was spectacular making it worth the extra cost. The coast line was stunning and we saw dolphins, a seal, jellyfish and lots of sea birds flying alongside us. What an entrance to the South Island.
Leaving the ferry we headed to Kaikoura and Donegal House an Irish bar and hotel which has campsite facilities for either £10 per night or £15 with electricity. There were hot showers available for £2 per person too.
We loved this place to stay as the bar was popular, the staff were excellent and we could have a vegan meal that was sooo delicious all washed down of course with a pint of Murphys or a NZ Sauvignon Blanc 👌.
The ancestory of the bar could be traced back to the late 1800s when the 2 Boyd brothers emigrated from Ireland to prospect gold and eventually settled here as farmers. We stayed here for 2 nights and came back again for another 2 just before we left New Zealand as it was so good.
Our first planned activity was whale watching booked with Whale Watch Kaikoura for 2 days time.
Day 10 Hamner Springs
Hamner Springs an outdoor thermal water park is a 2 hour drive from Kaikoura. Several thermal pools and water slides looked great fun. It was an overcast and relatively chilly day but not to be deterred we thought who cares we will be in hot water.
Well the term hot water nearly had another meaning as we set off along the inland mountain road enjoying the views and the winding mountain roads. There wasn't a soul to be seen!
After travelling for over an hour, suddenly in the middle of nowhere the fuel warning light came on! OMG we had 45 km left in the tank, no phone signal and no way of finding out where the nearest fuel station was...of course I (Karen) was driving and didn't check before we set off how much fuel we had as I thought we had filled up the day before 😳.
We had no choice but to drive gingerly until we could get a signal and eventually found an unmanned pump when we had just 13km left in the tank. Fortunately the pump took paywave and we were on our way but it was a lesson that we never let the fuel go down below half as we saw a few signs after that saying no fuel for 100km!
The thermal pools were lovely and warm and soothing but getting out was sooo cold we really needed a dry robe 😂. The rides were great fun once you carried your double donut up the tower - it was an unintended workout 😂. The cafe was great with a couple of choices for us and when there was torrential rain it was great to be under cover warm and dry looking out.
Day 11 Kaikoura, Seals and Arthurs Pass
Whale Watching was cancelled due to high winds and rough seas. 😭 There were several tours throughout the day but all were cancelled. We were gutted as this was one of the trips we really wanted to do. There was no other availability that fit in with our tour so we decided to come back at the end of our trip as Kaikoura is only 2 hours away from Christchurch.
Next stop then breakfast at Sime's Kitchen. A great cafe with great vegan food choices and coffee. They even had vegan feta to go on our sourdough toast with avocado and tomatoes.
We drove around the bay where you can see fantastic vertical rock formations then parked up at Fyffe Quay and walked along the boardwalk onto the rocky beach to see the Penninsula Seal Colony.
We loved this walk seeing the nesting sea birds and fur seals with stunning scenery and crashing waves.
We could have stayed there all day but again it was time to move on.
Buller Gorge is north of the South Island. The best drive is to go via Arthurs Pass National Park. We were in no rush as whilst we had things to tick off our list the order we did them (or not) didn't matter it was up to us.
The drive was out of this world and infact other worldly!. We pulled in at a DOC site called Cave Stream and just stood in awe at the 360 degree mountain vista. There were picnic benches and toilets with a couple of walks but you were not allowed to freedom camp overnight. The sun was going down so we drove to the next camping area at Lake Pearson and agreed we would return the next day to walk and enjoy the view some more.
Day 12 Cave Stream Walk, Arthurs Pass and Murchison
Returning to the Cave Stream Walk the next morning was something different and involves walking down the mountain side along a fairly steep gravel path. This takes you along the river to a cave opening which the river flows out of. At times of low rainfall you can go into the cave and follow the river up to its source. This is an up hill climb in pitch black conditions. A head torch is a must and ideally a wet suit. There are signs about the safety of this walk and rock falls as much of it is limestone but we saw groups of young people completing the walk with guides. We didn't have the right gear with us so walking down to the cave and back up was enough.
The drive continues through the mountain pass to Murchison the home of the Buller Swingbridge and Gorge. We stayed at the Murchison Motorhome Campsite costing £23 per night plus £4 for laundry. This was a great campsite with a communal kitchen and dinning room. You found that you wanted to join in and eat where there was a buzz of people. Having access to washers and dryers is great too for reducing your holiday packing.
Day 13 Buller Gorge Canyon and Jet Boat , Swingbridge and Zip Wire
The Buller Gorge is accessed by NZ longest swingbridge where you make your way to the Jet Boat jetty. Mark our captain was brilliant as he was funny, informative and very skilled throwing us into those 360 spins or skimming us off the rock faces with a hairs breadth between us. This trip was fun for us young at heart Oldies 😂. We saw gold being dredged by scuba divers who own the claim on this part of the river and drove over the rapids. It was exhilarating. The trip was £125 for 2 of us plus another £37 for the Tandem Zip Wire. The jet boat was excellent value but we think the Zip Wire was relatively expensive as it was only short and so if you don't want to do this here you can walk back across the swingbridge for free.
In the afternoon we drove towards westport on the West Coast of the South Island and down to the Freedom Campsite at McMillon Road. This is a beach side spot which does get very busy but we were there early and spent the afternoon/ evening on the beach having a meal and watching the sun go down. It was a gorgeous sunset listening to the waves crashing on the beach.
Day 14 Paparoa National Park, Pancake Rocks and Hokitika
Driving down the west coast we came to the Pancake Rocks in Paparoa National Park. The car park was opposite with cafes alongside and then you stroll around a designated walk way. The vertical rock formations were pushed up from the earth and the power of the sea has worn holes in the limestone. At high tide under pressure the water get forced through the blow holes - be prepared to get wet when this happens.
Hokitika is a coastal town famous for its driftwood all along the beach. Once a year in January there is a driftwood and sand festival where budding artists design scuptures from what they find on the beach. We were too early for the festival but there were plenty of artworks to be seen.
Lake Mahinapua was our DOC campsite for the night. It was free with our pass but £15 for the night without. The facilities included toilets, cold showers and washing up sinks.
Day 15 Hokitika Gorge and Drive to Franz Josef
A 2km walk around the Hokitika Gorge along swingbridges and boardwalks was fascinating. The glacial waters are so blue its magical to see. The lagoon areas look so tempting to swim in when the weather is warm and the sun shining. Some people did swim in their 'togs' - I can honestly say my feet went numb just paddling.
Continuing down the coast we headed to Franz Josef and booked into the Rainforest Retreat Campsite. This was £27 for 2 nights so really good value. The Monsoon Bar is a great social space and had vegan options plus great wine and beer. The site had hot showers and a great communal kitchen
Day 16 Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Ride and Quad Biking
We flew with Glacier Country Helicopters over 3 glaciers landing on the Middleton snow field. The views were spectacular and the sense of calm when you fly at 6,000 feet and land on the snow is unreal. You can book flights with different itineraries, we saw the Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman Glaciers. The flights were £300 each for about 45 mins. We booked this through book me which sometimes has offers available
In the afternoon we had booked a Quad Bike Tour with Franz Josef Tours through the rain forest, the ancient glacial river bed and through the river. This was huge fun, very dusty and wet and felt like a full body workout. It was £150 for a double buggy.
Day 17 Wanaka
Wanaka is a cool town!
It looks modern and the drive from Franz Josef takes you between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea with more stunning views .
Our campsite for the night was Wanaka Holiday Park costing £32 for one night. We felt this campsite was very commercial and very busy. It was in a great place to explore Wanaka from but felt quite impersonal even though it had all the facilities you would want.
Walking around the town at night time it felt vibrant and young with lots of eating places. We ate at Big Fig a social eating place at shared tables where slow food is served fast! You select a number of different portions of healthy food according to your bowl size. Beer and wine are available too. Two large bowls and two drinks were £40.
Day 18 Wanaka Arrowtown Queenstown
Our day started with Charlie Brown Crepes A chic caravan selling French Crepes with a great selection of vegan ones too. The banana chocolate and almond was our choice. So good.
Of course the famous Wanaka Tree is a must see and you can find it just by looking for where people gather by the lake. The tree looks great no matter the weather!
The walk alongside the lake shows you the history of New Zealand in floor tiles along the walk way. This shows fascinating insight and the whole lake side has a great feel with families enjoying the lake or having picnics.
We drove to Queenstown via Arrowtown only a short trip from Wanaka (1.5 hours). Arrowtown is an historic gold rush town sitting alongside the gold bearing Arrow River. There are restored cottages and this heritage town has a real community feel to it.
When we arrived in Queenstown only 20 mins away the campsite was full and we managed to get the last place at another site the Q Box. As Queenstown is busy in the summer it is probably best to book ahead for your campsite. Q Box was £32 for 2 nights plus £4 for laundry use. Q Box is alongside the river but up the hill a short drive out of the town centre. The campsite had full facilities including electric and dump station.
Day 19 Queenstown and Te Anau
Queenstown is a fantastic place. It's vibrant with lots of activities and fab places to eat and drink. Its also very busy in the summer months but this is part of the vibe.
We booked ahead to get tickets for the Skyline Gondola and LugeRides. It was £93 for two of us including 6 rides on the Luge. The Skyline Gondola is the steepest gondola in the Southern Hemisphere and at the top there is just the most amazing views across Lake Wakatipu and several mountain peaks including The Remarkables.
The Luge rides were great fun and beware the younger riders will overtake you if they can. After each ride you get the chair lift back up and do it all again!
G-Force Paragliding was another fabulous activity available from the top of the Skyline but run independently. This was something I'd always wanted to do and was just the best experience as you soar high above the lake and town. We landed in a school playing field so smoothly it was surreal. The paragliding cost £150
We ate lunch at a cafe called Verdun just alongside the harbour. Again great vegan choices so we bought two meals for £30 and shared.
We drove to Te Anau with the plan to take a boat through Milford Sound but our research had shown that if there hadn't been recent and heavy rain many of the waterfalls would be dry and this would make for a very different trip. We decided to leave Milford and Doubtful Sounds to another trip.
Henry's Creek a DOC campsite was a great place to stay with our pass again by a Lake side where we ate vegan burgers, drank wine and beer and watched the sunset.
Day 20 Driving to Mirror Lake then Riverton/Aparima
We drove to Mirror Lake and took the short walk to see the reflections in the still waters and the nesting shags then returned to Te Anau for brunch and shopping before finding our freedom campsite for the night. This was a relaxing stop to chill after our long drive. We stayed at Thornbury in a farmers field with just toilets available.
Day 21 Invercargill and Curio Bay
Invercargill was all about the Bill Richardson Transport World. We spent half a day here looking at the amazing vintage cars and trucks and all other associated things. The collection amassed by Bill was unbelievable with many restored to immaculate standards. It was a walk back in time and well worth the admission fee of £35 for two. We had lunch here in the retro diner for £33 for us both.
Curio Bay further along the south coast is home to the Hoiho Penguins. These are the Yellow Eyed Penguins who come ashore usually at dusk but have been seen at other times. We went to an observation lookout and waited...
Our patience was rewarded when we saw this cute single penguin making its way out of the water onto the rocks. To see this in the wild was just fantastic and so special.
Our campsite for the night was an area alongside Tokanui Tavern. This was free to park up and there was plenty of space when we arrived but it soon filled up. There was a pleasant woodland walk next to the car park and then it was time to hunker down as the rains arrived!
Day 22 Purakaunui Falls, Nugget point, Dunedin
First stop breakfast at Niagra Falls Cafe - warm and cosy whilst it rained outside, superb full vegan breakfast.
Driving to Dunedin stopping off for a walk to Purakaunui Falls getting some steps then braving the winds and driving rain climbed to Nugget Point Lighthouse and rocks. The rugged coastal views are worth the walk even in the rain and you can hear the wailing cries of the seals along the way.
Our campsite was the Dunedin Holiday Park £27 per night including all facilities. This was an ideal starting point for our visit to the Royal Albatross Centre the next day.
Day 23 The Royal Albatross Centre, Oamaru and the Blue Penguins
Today was all about the birds!
We visited the nesting Gulls on the cliffs above Dunedin where the Royal Albatross Colony is. This is the only mainland albatross colony in the world and although you can visit the centre to see the nesting Royals you are also treated to their majestic flight on the viewing platforms outside. Their 3 metre wingspan is clear to see and if you are patient you may even get a close fly by. There are parts of the centre free to visit and you can learn about the different Albatross species. The areas we visited outside and in the centre were free.
Leaving Dunedin we drove to Oamaru the steam punk capital but more importantly home to the little Blue Penguins. We got tickets for the evening return of the penguins and then waited patiently until dusk. The viewing platforms are very well managed and the species are very well protected as they would be intimidated by crowds of noisy people. These little birds no more than 1kg come ashore in rafts (groups of penguins) and after preening themselves make their way to their nesting boxes. We were in awe especially as some passed within a metre of us. The price to see the penguins was £20 each and well worth it.
Our campsite was at Eden St car park in Oamaru free of charge overnight. This was within walking distance of the penguin colony.
Day 24 Oamaru
The town of Oamaru is steeped in Victorian history. The early settlers were part of the gold rush, with thriving grain and wool markets so the town flourished with large victorian bulidings lining the streets. The main street was designed to be able to turn the bull train around and is still a wide road today with a central island. The wealth of the town declined and due to the lack of money the buildings stayed as they were with no further development preserved to remain as they are today.
The town has lots of charcter and draws people to see the steam punk. All around the harbour/water are the remnants of machinery either train parts/track or from the wharehouse times. The actual Steampunk HQ is a building with a mish mash of scifi/steel work that we dont really get to be honest. Unless this is your thing we are not sure its worth the visit albeit it only £7.50 each.
There is a Victorian Art Centre which is more interesting and tells you the history of the first settlers and the town. This is an interactive centre and you pay a donation for what you think its worth.
Next door is the Craftworks Pub which has been used in the Netflix film East of Eden. They do a great vegan Iranian Stew.
Our campsite for the evening was another freedom campsite at Chamberlains Ford. Great facilities at this for BBQ
Day 25 Kaikoura
We planned to take the Whale Watch Tour again and so booked for Day 26. We drove through Christchurch so we could be in Kaikoura for the early start needed (07.45). We loved Donegal House and arranged to stay here for the next 2 nights.
Day 26 Kaikoura
The Whale Watch was sadly cancelled again due to high winds and rough seas. This is now on our to do list next time we visit New Zealand.
We spent a great day having breakfast at Simes Kitchen and walking around the town and beach area. It was the perfect penultimate day
Day 27 Christchurch and return of our Campervan
The plan was to drop the campervan off mid afternoon and so we booked into the LyLo hotel walking distance from the Airport.
The campervan drop off was straight forward with checks for fuel, empty toilet and gas bottle only. This was the benefit of full insurance. Christchurch is a busy pick up and drop off centre.
The Lylo Hotel is a great place to stay. The rooms are basic but clean and functional. There is a huge communal kitchen and lounge where you can cook with all the facilities you need and relax in a variety of comfy seats and hammocks. This was £72 for the night booked on booking.com
Sadly It was time to say goodbye to New Zealand as we fly to start the next leg of our tour. We hope you found this Guide: 27 Days Touring New Zealand in a Campervan: The Ultimate Guide For the Mature but Young at Heart Traveller informative and helpful when you plan your tour. There are so many fun places to see and we saw just a fraction but what we saw was amazing and stunning. Seize the day and enjoy every minute!
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