I have also foregone the luxury of hire cars and motels for a campervan as my mode of transport. In this way I hope to save a few NZ$ by using the free (almost) Dept of Conservation sites dotted a round the country or cheap commercial sites with facilities for showering and cooking.
In the interest of further cost saving I have elected to hire a 'Wicked' campervan rathe than the more traditional model with built in fridge, cooker, storage, bedding, seats, etc.
'Wicked' take worn out old campervans and make them cool by tarting up the chipped paintwork with their 'Wicked' graffiti. I got 'Gollum'. Very apt, given that South Island NZ is famous as the location for Lord of the Rings. Also very apt, given that Gollum comes 'naked' with just a sink, a water bottle, a worn out thin foam mattress, an empty gas bottle and an empty fuel tank!
I love Gollum. No airs and graces. No worrying about bumps and scratches. No extra insurance costs to cover every eventuality. No worries, period. Except whether we will make it from Queenstown to Christchurch.
To be on the safe side, we make the first driving day a short one and head for Te Anau.
I am smitten by the scenery on South Island. It is everything I love in one place. We pass along remote turquoise lakes hidden in mountain valleys and across open plains. Manipoura,nr Te Anau is my first destination. Chickening out of wild camping on my first night I choose a low budget campsite by the lake. I just make it and am the last to get a space as they are full in this summer season.
I hardly notice the little black flies as I check out the pitch but before long I am raking my skin with the itching. As I flick them away, little drops of blood appear on my skin. These vampires are worse than any of the mozzies I encountered on my travels through many malarial countries. By the time I've swapped my shorts and sandals for long trousers, socks and shoes I have been eaten alive.
In the interest of further cost saving I have elected to hire a 'Wicked' campervan rathe than the more traditional model with built in fridge, cooker, storage, bedding, seats, etc.
'Wicked' take worn out old campervans and make them cool by tarting up the chipped paintwork with their 'Wicked' graffiti. I got 'Gollum'. Very apt, given that South Island NZ is famous as the location for Lord of the Rings. Also very apt, given that Gollum comes 'naked' with just a sink, a water bottle, a worn out thin foam mattress, an empty gas bottle and an empty fuel tank!
I love Gollum. No airs and graces. No worrying about bumps and scratches. No extra insurance costs to cover every eventuality. No worries, period. Except whether we will make it from Queenstown to Christchurch.
To be on the safe side, we make the first driving day a short one and head for Te Anau.
I am smitten by the scenery on South Island. It is everything I love in one place. We pass along remote turquoise lakes hidden in mountain valleys and across open plains. Manipoura,nr Te Anau is my first destination. Chickening out of wild camping on my first night I choose a low budget campsite by the lake. I just make it and am the last to get a space as they are full in this summer season.
I hardly notice the little black flies as I check out the pitch but before long I am raking my skin with the itching. As I flick them away, little drops of blood appear on my skin. These vampires are worse than any of the mozzies I encountered on my travels through many malarial countries. By the time I've swapped my shorts and sandals for long trousers, socks and shoes I have been eaten alive.
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