New Zealand and Australia

austin

Well-Known Member
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Not by motorbike though :(

We are half way though a 4 week trip by Campervan around South Island New Zealand. Out home is a “hippie camper”. A very old Mitsubishi L300 camper. Nearly 400,000km on the clock and still goes well but very battered. Big wide long bed that fills then van bit and a bit of kitchen at the back door. Tbh it’s a bit crap but has the magnicent virtue of being cheap - very cheap. Under £200 per week for the four weeks.

We also met our son and put him up in an Airbnb with us for s few days while the west coast of the island endured its worst rainstorm for 50years - landslips, bridges washed away, roads closed and usual chaos. We ended up with a 500 mile detour to get back to on our intended route. Hey ho it’s the way it goes.

Hopefully some pics will appear on here.
 

austin

Well-Known Member
We start and finish in Christchurch. So far we have looped to the north a bit over Lewis’s pass via Hamner Springs and over to the west coast. Then south to Hokitika about 1/3rd of the way down the coast. That’s when it rained, a lot, and with the Bridge at Franz Josef gone we headed back towards Christchurch over Arthur’s Pass (very good) and then south through the Southern Alps. Currently in Wanaka in the central south surrounded by spectacular mountains.

The plan now is to explore around here for a couple of days and then eventually get back to the west coast up a long dead end to Milford Sound before aiming at the southern tip of NZ and a return to Christchurch up the east coast. If enough time we may explore the North of South Island ad my son was there for a while and says it very underrated by tourists and well worth a look see.

Roads are deserted and there is not a lot between the well spaced small towns. Not brilliant riding roads by and large although the passes are good. Loads and loads of gravel roads off up into the mountains. My son has done some epic multi day mostly gravel roads on his klr650 (for sale so I can’t borrow it).

Campsites are plentiful and on the whole cheap. Lots of free places with just a great view, a compost bog and non-potable water (or nothing but there are restrictions of what type of camper can go where). The Department of Conservation also does cheap basic sites again just a bog and a spring water tap for $16 - about £8. Holiday parks etc a plenty at around £20 a night. Cheap compared to uk.

Enjoying it so far but I think the weather is about to break again (cold) and with clock changing next weekend it will be dark very early.
 

Rubberchicken

Well-Known Member
Don’t forget to take the back road to Queenstown, Crown Range road and this view of Arrow Junction. Good biking road that was too.

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In less than a fortnight that picture will be 10 years old. :) Still my favourite desktop background together with this one from just north of Wanaka.

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I did the Christchurch, Arthurs Pass, down the coast to Queenstown, then inland to Gore (missable) and back up via Alexandra, Tekapo etc loop.

Missed out on Milford Sound due to getting stuck over easter with tyre problems and the last 2 days were a bit of a rush. It’s a pretty big island if you’re short on time. :)
 

Barftone

Well-Known Member
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Ah the memories...South Island is lovely...my god...u two off again!! livin the dream. Loved Wanaka when we were there but heard its had a lot of newbuild going up the last few years.
 

austin

Well-Known Member
Don’t forget to take the back road to Queenstown, Crown Range road


In less than a fortnight that picture will be 10 years old. :) Still my favourite desktop background together with this one from just north of Wanaka.

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Well, as I type this I am at the campsite that is in the photo above (at least I think I am) - Kidds Bush Reserve. One of the best I have been on so far.

The crown range road is off limits to rental campervans - this one at least anyway, but son rode it and said it was good. Edit.... just rechecked the crown road is on-limit. Whoohoo 80kph in a wobbly camper with leave spring suspension and skinny worn out tyres. Can’t wait.

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Ah the memories...South Island is lovely...my god...u two off again!! livin the dream. Loved Wanaka when we were there but heard its had a lot of newbuild going up the last few years.

It’s still a nice town, there was a gypsy fair and a farmers narket going on plus it was a warm sunny day so lots of people just chillin’ In the sun.
 
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austin

Well-Known Member
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Milford Sound was brilliant - it’s at the head of a deep fjord. The scenery is simply stunning. There’s not much a Milford Sound itself so we went back up the road for 30miles or so then 12k down a gravel road to an old road-workers camp that is now a campsite hostel type place. Very rustic, off grid and isolated. It was brill although rather a lot of very pesky sandflies (think sciottish midge but bigger). Took a 2 hour sightseeing cruise the next day to get a proper perspective on the grandeur of the place. It’s grand alright.

Now on the very south coast which is also very good, in fact after Milford probably the best so far particularly the Catlin Mountains. Weather has been mostly sunny in the day and quite warm but frosty cold at night with a biting southerly wind all the way from Antarctica it seems. It makes for good days out and if we get a campsite with indoor kitchen and seating for a pleasant evening too. Clocks went back so now dark at 6.30pm. I also picked up a rotten snotty cold so have been on deaths door with man flu.

Oh, and this camper is definitely the slowest vehicle in NZ on twisty roads. I even got overtaken by a Harley yesterday
 
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