Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[p_carter]

A little background
My wife and I live in England and are hardened travellers for over 15 years throughout Europe, Escorted 3 weeks Safari in Africa (Tanzania) and 3 weeks Escorted tour of China. As we were both working then, time was of the essence so we chose package tours with little thinking to do on our behalf.

I have now taken early retirement so time is no longer the main consideration. The overall cost is a main consideration as is flexibility but we want to have a 'one off' look at New Zealand. Both North and South Islands. We are both fit and use to caravanning in the UK and enjoy scenery rather than hustle and bustle of busy cities. I have read many excellent entries in this forum but would like some additional help / information.

My questions are:

How long should we plan to spend on each Island
We plan to visit Feb or March 2011, is this the best time
We aim to have a stop over flight out and back thinking of Singapore and Hong Kong
A Camper van in the UK is difficult when it comes to shopping or parking in car parks due to UK height restrictions. What is parking like in NZ
How do we find out where the camp sites are and how do we book them
Do the sites get full or can we just turn up on the day
Another possibility is self drive car and overnight in motels / B&B. What do you favour
Is it best to book the whole tour through a UK Travel agency or just book flight, transport and first camp site then see how thing go
Can we book direct with an agency in NZ
Please add any other questions we should have asked

Regards

Paul

[nztravelguide]

My questions are:

How long should we plan to spend on each Island
We plan to visit Feb or March 2011, is this the best time
We aim to have a stop over flight out and back thinking of Singapore and Hong Kong
A Camper van in the UK is difficult when it comes to shopping or parking in car parks due to UK height restrictions. What is parking like in NZ
How do we find out where the camp sites are and how do we book them
Do the sites get full or can we just turn up on the day
Another possibility is self drive car and overnight in motels / B&B. What do you favour
Is it best to book the whole tour through a UK Travel agency or just book flight, transport and first camp site then see how thing go
Can we book direct with an agency in NZ
Please add any other questions we should have asked

Regards

Paul
[/quote]

Hi Paul,

Here are some answers I can provide based upon the many years here traveling in my own 7 metre bus whill gathering travel information and photos for travel articles.


Feb/March is the best time to visit New Zealand as the weather is more settled then and the roads are not crowded. Mid-February to mid-March I find are usually ideal..
Camper vans are the eay to go. The roads of New Zealand are well maintained and easy to drive if you are used to the larger vehicles. In our 7 metre bus I never have had a parking problem anywhere and it is larger than most rental vans.
The best way to know which camps to book are to go to my website where I have listed the ones we have used over the years and list them for their quality.
That time of year you do not need to book ahead. In a few of the most popular such as in Queenstown I suggest being in the camp by 4pm to get a spot....
Again have a look at my Travel website to find the help you need for booking the trip, vehicle rental, etc....and much, much more.......
New Zealand Travel Guide - www.newzealandtravelguide.net

Ron Laughlin (moderator)

[jsnz]

A little background
My wife and I live in England and are hardened travellers for over 15 years throughout Europe, Escorted 3 weeks Safari in Africa (Tanzania) and 3 weeks Escorted tour of China. As we were both working then, time was of the essence so we chose package tours with little thinking to do on our behalf.

I have now taken early retirement so time is no longer the main consideration. The overall cost is a main consideration as is flexibility but we want to have a 'one off' look at New Zealand. Both North and South Islands. We are both fit and use to caravanning in the UK and enjoy scenery rather than hustle and bustle of busy cities. I have read many excellent entries in this forum but would like some additional help / information.

My questions are:

How long should we plan to spend on each Island
We plan to visit Feb or March 2011, is this the best time
We aim to have a stop over flight out and back thinking of Singapore and Hong Kong
A Camper van in the UK is difficult when it comes to shopping or parking in car parks due to UK height restrictions. What is parking like in NZ
How do we find out where the camp sites are and how do we book them
Do the sites get full or can we just turn up on the day
Another possibility is self drive car and overnight in motels / B&B. What do you favour
Is it best to book the whole tour through a UK Travel agency or just book flight, transport and first camp site then see how thing go
Can we book direct with an agency in NZ
Please add any other questions we should have asked

Regards

Paul

You should have at least 3 weeks in each Island if possible. The North Island is very varied and has a lot of variety e.g beautiful beaches and boating in Coromandel and Bay of Islands, Volcanic activity and mountains in the central North Island, Art deco sophistication mixed with grreat golf fishing food and vineyards in Napier and Hawkes Bay, Maori culture in Rotorua and the East Coast, the art and museums of Wellington. The SI has grander scenrey (too many to mention) but also some beautiful coastal scenery e.g near Nelson. If you have time a vsit to Stewart Isaland shows NZ as it used to be and offers superb wildlife, gardens and fishing.

Check the prices of Campervans. Sometimes the cost is comparable to a rental car and staying in hotels or B n B's. On that point the Bed and Breakfasts in NZ are very reliable and consistent andin general a step above the average in UK. Feb and March can be busy so best to book esp in Feb.

[birrell]

Hi Paul,
I'm a Kiwi, living at Omokoroa in the Bay of Plenty.
All the comments are good and accurate.
There is a very active Motor Caravan fraternity in NZ. And there are books which give you places to park everywhere. Yes the free campers have had bad press lately, mainly because of their selfish attitude to human waste. But the modern vans are self-contained (own wc) and the books tell you where to find the dump stations. Some areas do not allow free camping while others are very supportive. Our small beach settlement has 3 dump stations and free overnight areas. The Coromandel does not allow free camping. But in these places you will find that farmers may allow you to use their land for small donation and these places are in the books. Feb Mar is after the busy season - Jan - and the weather is warmest and dryest, but you can expect some sub tropical rain lasting up to 4 days especially in the northern region.
Have a look at this site for an idea of a possible route
http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/PSZ
It will give you the key places and you can fill in the details as you find out about the places.
I don't think you need an agent to do the planning, just put in the time on the travel websites gleening others good ideas.
You can pick up a van at Auckland airport, there's a supermarket adjacent and you're off.
Warwick