We just returned from our bi-annual business trip to stunning New Zealand. It is a breathtakingly beautiful country that seems to be made to be discovered by campervan or motorhome.
This time we stayed on the South Island and visited most of our suppliers, the rental companies that are in direct contact with our valued customers. And of course we quietly enjoyed ourselves as well, taking in the beauty of the country. But not too obvious of course, as after all we were supposed to be on a business trip… J
Every time we go there, we choose a vehicle that has been booked most by our clients in the previous year. This time that was the Rover Budget hitop camper.
Compared to all the other vehicles on offer in New Zealand, this one is always relatively low in price, as it is a budget 2006/7 model (with a far more recently updated interior) and therefore it has an excellent Value for Money rating!
Don’t expect a shiny new campervan, but the rates are accordingly. So you will always find some small signs of normal wear and tear. But all in all, you will be supplied with a simple, honest and mechanically well maintained campervan that is versatile and very user friendly.
We were extremely pleasantly surprised by how easy and pleasant this vehicle was to use on a daily basis.
The Rover is an automatic, ideal for people who have not had much experience driving in a vehicle on the left hand side of the road. But automatics do still require some gear shifting by the driver, especially in the many New Zealand hills and mountains.
Please read the handy tips regarding driving an automatic vehicle in hilly terrain.
The Rover is listed as a 4 berth vehicle: Directly behind the driver and passenger are two more, comfortable seats with seatbelts. Child seats can be placed here as well as there are required anchor points behind these two seats.
We would not recommend the Rover (similar to the Apollo/Cheapa/Hippie Endeavour and the Jucy Condo) for more than 3 adults though due to the limited space once both top and bottom bed are set up. However, for a couple with 2 smaller children it is the perfect and above all, affordable campervan option in New Zealand!
As opposed to most other similar campervans, the design for the top bed is brilliant: the bed base is very easy to pull out due to an innovative angled sliding system on each side. A bit hard to explain here, but when you see and better even, use it you’ll know what we mean!
During the day the top bunk is ideal to store all your bags as there is also a luggage net fitted. In New Zealand, the Rover has the “Self-Contained” certificate and can be used on all Freedom Campsites. It has a chemical toilet, neatly tucked away in a separate storage area, a kitchen with gasstove and pressurised water, a waste water tank, a proper large fridge, and an auxiliary battery (deep cycle) so that the appliances and lights still work even when you are not plugged into 240Volts at a campground.
This work-related visit to New Zealand has made quite an impression on us once again. It has been very useful from many a perspective but above all, we were reminded once more how impressive the scenery is: the Southern Alps with stunning views, especially the Mount Cook area. Mount Cook is with 3724 metres the highest peak in the country. The West Coast is with the Punakaiki “Pancake Rocks” and blowholes. The Haast pass is a great way of getting from the Westcoast to the Southern part of the South Island. On to Wanaka. Beautiful Wanaka on the shores of the lake named after the town. The route from Wanaka to Queenstown via the Crown Range road is stunning. This leads you through the Cardrona ski area. A stop at the historic Cardrona Pub is an absolute must!
When you continue on towards Queenstown, you should stop regularly at the many viewing areas to see the passenger jets descending into Queenstown airport actually flying below from where you are standing. Rather special! The camping in downtown Queenstown is really interesting. Centrally located, a very quirky artistic design, it is definitely worth a stay.
From Queenstown to Te Anau and Milford Sound, in the stunning Fjordland area where you can choose from a variety of boattrips to take in the views of the many waterfalls, penguins and dolphins. A great alternative to Milford is Doubtful sound, less touristy but equally pretty plus it has the added bonus that part of the boat tours here have a trip into the underground hydro powerstation included.
Once back in Christchurch, where most people return their campervan or motorhome, you will find that the locals are still working hard to recover from the devastating earthquakes from 2010 and 2011. But for people who continue on to the North Island, and travel from Christchurch up the East coast towards the ferry at Picton, there is more to discover: Kaikoura, a spot where only a couple of hundred metres from the beach, the oceanfloor falls away into a many kilometres deep underwater canyon. Because of this great depth, whales are able to come extremely close to the shore, and hence Kaikoura is the absolute best spot in New Zealand to join a whalespotting tour!
New Zealand: the long journey to get there is more than worth it… This was the South Island in a nutshell, the North Island will follow soon.
