Fast becoming the most popular way to see New Zealand, renting a campervan, aka. a Motorhome, can be the best way to experience the beauties of this country. There are several different companies from the deluxe to the basic with sizes accommodating up to 10 (albeit tight). Prices range depending on seasons and camper quality, but expect prices to range anywhere from $12 to $40 per person, per day. A few good places to start are with these companies:Maui Campervans, Britz, Tui and Wicked.

If you have two weeks or more to explore New Zealand, I would highly recommend this form of travel to see the country. You will get to enjoy the small towns and the little jewels of the country that are off the ‘tourist itinerary’. Tour unspoiled small beach towns, roadside hotsprings, trendy ski villages, rolling hills peppered with sheep and picturesque lakes nestled between snowy mountains.

Driving on the left-hand side took a little while to adjust to, especially since this was quite a bulky vehicle. Fortunately most camper vans have automatic transmission. Mirrors and height can be a bit tricky too, but don’t let any of this scare you, it is quite easy to get comfortable with and in a couple days it will all feel natural.

New Zealand makes it really easy for campervan travelers with their collection of ‘i’ sites. These tourist/travel information centers provide everything you could possibly need from where to find a shower, waste dump site, or directions to booking a skydive jump and are in just about every town you could possibly visit.

Campervan Rental Prices:

Budget:
basic- bed, stove, sink
• High Season (Spring & Summer) – about $18 pp/per day
• Low Season (Fall & Winter) – about $12 pp/per day

Comfortable:
typical- shower, bathroom, stove, sink, high roof, microwave and heater (when plugged in)
• High Season (Spring & Summer) – about $30 pp/per day
• Low Season (Fall & Winter) – about $20 pp/per day

Campervan Tips:

• Water can go fast if you use the shower and wash dishes. Expect 3 short (2-3 min) showers to exhaust your water supply. Gas stations and campgrounds are good water resupply spots, but be sure it is drinking water you are filling up with!
• Your gas canister will probably last the whole trip, unless you are taking a lot of showers or cooking like Martha Stewart. Ours lasted the full 3 weeks and was still 1/3 full by return.
• Plan your trip and arrive before dark. Finding a camping/parking spot at night can be very difficult and may leave you with a very unpleasant surprise in the morning.
• Spend more time enjoying than driving. Don’t overextend yourself by underestimating distances and drive times or you will miss out on the spots you are visiting.
• Be mindful of fuel levels. NZ can be very rural in places (especially the South Island) leaving you without fuel stops on very long and hilly deserted stretches. I stopped for fuel whenever it dropped below 1/3 a tank, just to be safe.
• Let others pass. A quick way to spoil the experience is to gum up the roads for the locals. Be polite and pull over to let others pass, especially on those windy hills.
• Enjoy the experience! You will camp and wake up in some of the most beautiful places, often all by yourself

Almost everything was provided with our campervan, including sheets, comforters, pillows, towels, dish towels, silverware, cooking utensils, pots/pans, cups and mugs. You may want to purchase a few items for your campervan adventure including: Toilet paper, dish soap, matches or a lighter (for the stove) and shower toiletries. Additionally, a sleeping bag is recommended for a little extra warmth if you are traveling in the winter, it can get quite cold at night in the mountains. Be sure to bring a nice collection of road trip CDs as radio stations can be difficult to pick up and all the whistles and noise of a land boat can sometimes get to you.

Hidden expenses:
Watch for these as they can creep up and blow your budget!

• Diesel Tax: A surprise upon returning the vehicle, this is calculated from your mileage and can be in the hundreds of dollars if you have driven both islands.
• Camping Fees & Hookup charges: Camping can be cheap, but not always free. I recommend buying a motorhome camping guidebook from one of the ‘i’ sites to help you find these sometimes elusive parks. General rule of thumb, if you are in-town, you are probably going to have to pay, and it is usually a per-person fee. To keep it cheap or free, head at least 10k outside of town and find a rest stop or safe turnoff. Stay away from houses, private property and private drives, and obviously, no camping signs.
• Waste Discharge Fees: Not generally a huge expense, there are free dump sites if you know where to look for them (buy a motorhome camping book).

Give it a shot and let the adventure begin!

Surfing in New Zealand is probably what surfing California in the 60′s or 70′s was like- empty breaks, perfect waves and a scattering of friendly locals.

Since I had rented a campervan for my New Zealand travels, I had a built-in surfboard shack. The transportation was covered, i had a traveling warm shower, changing spot and a beach-front room with a view. Although camping/campervan parking can sometimes be illegal in certain areas, you can usually find a turnout or suitable spot not far away from your new found secret spots.

The weather in New Zealand can be a bit on the cool side and is pretty comparable to the coast of California with the North Island water/air temps similar to LA beaches (58/65 degrees F in winter, 67/80 degrees F in summer), and the South Island more like Santa Barbara (52/55 degrees F in winter, 61/72 degrees F in summer).

You are going to want a wetsuit year round for the South Island, preferably a thicker 4/3 with booties and hood for the winter, whereas you can get by with a shortie or even boardshorts in the summer on the North Island.

My personal favorites were Raglan, Shag Point and a long right just south of Kaikoura. All of these are easily seen from a main highway, and I saw many more that I just wasn’t able to surf due to traveling constraints.

Raglan on the Eastern side of the North Island is the quintessential surfers town. A small, laid back town with a few cafes, a bar, restaurant and a collection of surf shops to pick up your favorite board wax. It is where I picked up my board for this journey, along with a 3/2 wetsuit. There are two main breaks here, one is a beach break inside Surfers Bay, the other is just a bit further down the peninsula and is a rock-reef break. Apparently when it gets a big enough swell there is a wicked left that crosses the whole bay, and is supposedly the longest left in the world.

Right off the highway just south of Kaikoura is a wrap around break that is just like one I used to pass in Ventura. The waves break at an angle to shore and can produce an awesome long right. This is a rock-reef break that can be a bit difficult to enter and exit on bigger days given the boulders, but the further down the beach you go, the more sandy the beach becomes.

There are several spots along the coastline running from Shag Point up to Katiki, so if you hit a crowded break (any more than 5-8 people) you can usually just head a few beaches further up and find a similar break. These are primarily beach breaks, but I found them to be amazingly clean and were my personal favorite of the trip.

The best thing is that there are so many great uncrowded breaks just about everywhere along the coast. All you need is a surfboard and a way to get to the beach and start exploring yourself!

Having never sky-dove before, I was pretty excited to give it a try. Lake Taupo, near the center of the North island of New Zealand, is one of the most popular skydive locations in the world. Known for its beauty and adventurous travelers (and locals), New Zealand seemed the perfect place to take the plunge.

There must be hundreds of skydive operators in New Zealand, and everywhere you go, you are blasted with skydiving and bungee jumping flyers. There are 3 main ones in Lake Taupo(Taupo Tandem Skydiving, Freefall, and Skydive Taupo), and because it is so popular (they say it is the most jumped place in the world) it consequently is also one of the cheapest (awesome if you are a poor or broke budget traveler).

Prices depend on your photo package and jump height. I opted for the basic package from Freefall (no photos or video) and went with the 12,000 foot drop rather than the 15,000 foot drop. I was told I would get about 45 seconds of freefall with the 12,000 foot jump as opposed to just over a minute with the 15,000 foot jump.

There really isn’t much to it either, you just show up, watch a quick DVD that gets you all psyched up, they suit you up, and then BAM! you are on the plane. Since they had an opening right away, I drove right over to the hangar and within 20 minutes of booking, I was in the air.

Being the Winter/ early Spring, it was going to be cold, so they provided a hat and gloves along with the jumpsuit, which ended up being crucial, cause it was cold up there! I climbed into the plane and we ascended quite quickly. The view of the trees, lake and surrounding mountains was amazing, although it’s hard to take it all in with all the noise excitement and anticipation.

Once you hit the jump altitude, they open the ‘garage door’ on the side of the plane. They inch you to the edge and you kind of hang off while your tandem parachutist gets situated. I was the last to jump, so I got to see everybody else disappear out the door (and i do mean disappear, they just vanish). The plane wiggles and jumps a bit after each skydiver leaves the plane, only adding to the anticipation.

Finally it was my turn and we inched to the edge and I began to hang over, held only by a few straps to the guy behind me in the plane. The feeling is a bit surreal as you are so high up, it feels like you are in a windstorm with only an aerial photo below you. Then you fall.

You spin for a few seconds and completely lose your bearings while at the same time feeling the weightlessness of the freefall. You come to face the earth and begin to acclimate to the falling sensation, although the wind stays intense. You take a look around, enjoy the scenery for what feels like 10 seconds, and then the chute is pulled at 5,000 feet.

Once you hit 5,000 feet, you begin to regain that falling sensation as you can now perceive distances better. My spotter let me take the controls for awhile so I was able to turn and spin and really enjoy the glide down. We landed in a field next to the lake, about 20 feet from where we took off and it was over.

They put us in a room so we could see the jump DVD, which was pretty entertaining while we all just tried to wrap our heads around what just happened. What an experience! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The whole experience is over so fast, you really need to try and be calm and just enjoy it. I can see why the recommend the 15,000 foot jump, although I would probably just do the 12,000 foot dive twice for a more full experience.

If you are heading to New Zealand and want to see some really old ice, check out two of the major glaciers, Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier, both on the south island. Easily accessible right out of a car park, you can choose to do a drive up with a quick walk to reach the terminal face, or opt for a guided tour onto the glacier itself.

Tucked away in some pretty amazing rainforest scenery, complete with sheer rock face cliffs and waterfalls, it looks a whole lot like Hawaii, its just really cold- Oh, and it is a glacier. Frans Josef Glacier is a bit more of a walk, about an hour round trip, and takes you through a bit of forest and up a rocky riverbed.

Fox Glacier on the other hand, can be seen directly from the car parking lot, and just a quick 10 minute walk will put you face to face with the leading edge of the ice. Fox has more striking cliff faces, rising straight up from the river bed hundreds of feet, topped with a dense rainforest.

Both exceedingly beautiful, also worth noting is the small town of Franz Josef, which has a couple neat little lodge style restaurants to grab a pint and sit by the fire – well worth a visit.

Just outside of Nasca, Peru is a giant wall of sand known as ‘Cerro Blanco’, the largest sand dune in the world. What better place to sand board?

The day starts out with an early morning hike- we were picked up from our hostel a 4am -actually, we had to wake up our guide off the lobby couch after he had partied all night and passed out about 30 minutes prior, to which he then called a sardine can of a taxi to pick us up. Apparently there was a ro-sham-bo for which of the post-party ‘guides’ was going to take us, and the only guy who doesn’t speak English happened to lose.

We fit 6 people into what effectively was a gas powered golf cart because they don’t make cars that small in the US. The first stop was to the market for oranges and water. The trip planner told us the day before in pretty good English, that we should pack fruit, specifically oranges for the hike up the dune. We had picked up a few that day, so we felt like we were in good shape for that requirement (more about this later).

We drove lazily up a windy mountain road, road divider lines didn’t seem to be more than a suggestion, especially when passing large trucks around blind corners. What seemed like about a quarter of the way up the mountain, the car pulled into a dirt turnout and the guide hopped out and gave us each our boards to carry for the hike.

The lack of preparation became evident as we began traversing a steep rocky face in the pitch black of night with nothing more than a mini headlamp the guide would point back at us if he heard a rock landslide, which only made things worse by causing temporary blindness and vertigo.

After about an hour an a half of climbing, the sun came up- with a vengeance. Suddenly things started getting hot. To make matters worse, we had just transitioned to sand, which meant every three steps forward, we slid back two. As we approached the dune, we observed a circle of rocks at the base of the climb. Within the rock circle were several oranges, mostly dried out, but a few fresh ones. We assumed they were from previous sand-boarders and also served as a place to dump your orange peels. The guide sat us down at the circle and began to pull some oranges from his bag. We figured this was probably the halfway point, and thus the breakfast stop. We all pulled out our fruits and oranges and began peeling and eating them. We had thought this would be a good place to dump the peels from oranges we had already consumed, so we pulled them out as well.

This is around the time we noticed the guide was performing some sort of meditation or prayer. We all looked at each other a little confused and embarrassed at our chatter. The awkwardness continued when, after he had finished, he placed the oranges he had brought into the circle. We had just consumed our ‘offering’ oranges, right in front of the offering place! We were a bit relieved to have not dumped our trash into the circle, but still- had we offended him or worse, the dune God? We figured it best to empty whatever remaining oranges we had into the offering to try and make peace with the situation.

Onward and upward, the deep sand clenched our sneakers, holding us back with each step, now with the sun baking our backs. Another hour and a half passed during our ’45 minute walk’, along with several false summits, and we were finally there. The guide pulled out some candles, and we were all on edge as to what would happen next. He broke them into several pieces and handed each one of us a stick. “Uh oh, whats this all about?” we were wondering. We kind of froze, waiting to see what his next move was. Watching intently, he placed the candle in one hand, and began waxing the bottom of his board. You could feel the relief drain from the group as we all mimicked his swirling strokes.

We took a few practice runs to get used to the board, but this was not like snowboarding as I had imagined. Turning was near impossible as the more forward you leaned, the greater the chance of stopping, or worse, endo-ing. After a quick run the guide pulled a Speedy Gonzales on us and B-lined it up the near vertical dune face with amazing speed. We were left dumbfounded at the base wondering if he was going to throw us a rope or something, instead he motioned for use to follow his lead. As I began the ascent, it felt as if I was on a stationary stair-stepper, only making the slightest gain for each labored step.

At the top once again, we began descending a series of dune faces, each growing longer and steeper. Our technique improved with each run and we became bolder. This was a blessing as well as a curse- the increased speed and incline led to Ash nearly snapping in half as the momentum of her faceplant carried her board to a slow stall just before stopping within inches of the back of her head. Steph decided that her preferred riding stance was sitting on the board, which had it’s own risks. On the final run, after a good waxing she became enveloped in what I would call the Haley’s Comet of sandstorms- a huge ball of sand screaming down the slope at breakneck speeds. The resulting tumble would have made Evil Keneval cringe. I mimicked this technique for the final 1000 meter dune, hitting speeds well in excess of the speed of sound as I could hear my earlier screams minutes after my crash. After no longer being able express my joy through the mouthful of sand, I chose to bail off the board having no idea how fast I was going. It all worked out ok, however, I fear I will find sand from that crash years from now.

With the exhilaration and adrenaline still pumping, we continued to walk down the rest of the dune as the sand had become to course to slide on. We saw no car, no road, nothing but a dry desert valley leading into a greater expanse of desert. Having exhausted our water (and oranges), we were parched, tired and covered in sand. There had been no mention of this ‘hike’ in the activity promotion, so we had to ask in broken Spanish – “how long is the walk?” He answered “45 minutes”, which we started to think was his answer for everything.

After about another hour, we could see a road, and a truck headed our way! Of course, it was not for us and we could see our cab about a mile away with the hood up and our driver hunched over the engine. Alas the perfect end to an amazing day.

In my preparation for this extended trip, I had to get a few things in order at home. I have compiled a list of great free services and helpful tips for extended travel that have really worked for me so far:

1. Google Voice
   Provides: call forwarding, voicemail, email transcription, texting, international calling.

A great free service offered by google, not sure how they monetize it, so someday you may have to pay for it, but as of now, its free and awesome!

This service allows you to have a single phone number that will reach you wherever you may be. Not only is it a forwarding service, it is also a voicemail and transcribing service which delivers voice messages as an email to you inbox. The transcriptions can be a bit off, but are still understandable, and you can always sign into google voice to listen to a recording of the voicemail over your computer.

You are also able to conduct outgoing calls and texts from any phone you have in your possession (international or domestic) or in some cases, over the web.

Google Voice

2. Automatic Billing and Bill Pay
   Provides: consolidated online banking and billing in one place.

Most banks provide some service like this, i happen to use Bank of America for mine. You are able to view your e-bills (from most major credit cards, banks and utilities) and pay them, all from one location.

In this way, I can see which bills are pending, when they are due, which have been paid and schedule payments all from a single page. This speeds up money management and banking like you wouldn’t believe.

3. Online Chat Client or Instant Messenger (IM)
   Provides: quick, free communication to connect with friends, family and work back home.

Whether you like google talk, Skype, AIM, MSN Messenger or some other IM client- they all do the same thing- provide a connection. I personally love google talk by google because it is free, quick, and allows for video chat on computers with a video camera.

I find that I feel more connected when having a live conversation with someone rather than just an email here or there. Add video and sound and they can feel like they are right there with you.

4. Travel Laptop Computer or Netbook with Wireless Card
   Provides: internet access everywhere.

Nowdays WiFi is everwhere. I found it everywhere from small villages and busses in Peru to hostels and hotels in Chile. The most unexpected places will turn up a wifi connection, and while it may not be lightning fast, it is enough to get things done.

Not only does this provide communication to the outside world, it also can allow you to get everything else in order (see #1,2 and 3). With netbooks now in the $200 range, having a computer with you to do this is priceless and keeps you from having to track down an internet cafe.

Along a lonely highway across a moonscape desert in Nazca, Peru, you will find some faint lines in the coarse sand and jumbled rocks. While unassuming from the ground, these lines form figures, geometric shapes and sacred animals over great distances. The Nazca Lines are a group of several man-made lines in the desert.

Created about 1500 years ago by the ancient Nazca people, they have remained intact in this harsh desert environment largely unchanged. Best viewed from the air, there is also a viewing tower where you can see two of the figures and a geometrical shape.

While they are very precise and incredible for the time, i found them a bit unimpressive as they were much smaller than I had expected. Flights over the lines were a bit outside my price range, but may have proved to be more enjoyable than the tower view. Worth a stop if you are in the area, I would probably not specifically take a trip to visit them unless convenient.

Off the shore of Lake Titicaca in Puno, Peru there exists a floating city called Uros. Constructed of reeds, these floating islands are home to a large population of Peruvians all interconnected by a single plant, the Tortora reed.

The islanders use the reed to subsist, using it to construct the islands, boats, homes and even food. With very little outside influence over culture and materials, very few other cultures are as dependent on a single plant for survival.

Islands are constructed using the root system, cut out from the sediment. Strange enough, this peat-moss like substance is very buoyant once removed from the lake bottom. Creating the foundation for the island, it is then layered with dried reeds in a cross-hatch pattern until the island is approximately 6 feet deep. The island is then anchored to the floor in several spots using eucalyptus tree spikes and rope.

Upon completion, houses are woven and placed on top of an additional level of reeds. Most islands also have an elevated watchtower to look over the other islands.

An interesting facet of travel (especially extended travel) is how to fold your clothes for travel with limited bag space. I am a personal fan of the ‘roll’ technique in the interest of saving space and the added benefit of reducing wrinkles. My current dilemma is how to fold a sport-coat and while I’m at it, collard shirts. Sport coats weren’t really ment to be folded, they are supposed to be packed in a garment bag, however, my situation doesn’t allow for lots of specialty bags- so how can I pack my backpack to come out looking like James Bond if the situation calls for it? After intensive Google research, here is how:

A men’s wardrobe guide from 1953 on how to fold a dress or sport coat while keeping wrinkles to a minimum [via artofmanliness.com], was a useful start:

1. Spread the coat out on a flat surface. Make certain collar is turned up, that sleeves are straight and laid out smoothly, free of wrinkles.

2. Turn sleeves up so that lower portion is about even with armhole when folded. Keep all parts smooth and free of wrinkles

3. Fold front side parts of coat over sleeves so that edges meet a rear center seam. Smooth out wrinkles.

4. To pack in wide container: Double up over sleeves to top of collar. Pick up each side of garment and lay coat smoothly into bag.

5. To pack in duffle bag or narrow container: Smooth out wrinkles, fold left side over right side, then bottom to top, and lay flat in bag.

Or you could just follow this step-by-step video:

In preparation for my upcoming travels, I have been contemplating clothing options. I have traveled before, but not quite in this magnitude. I must find the perfect balance between comfort, style, weight and practicality traveling within multiple climates and cultures. Here is what I have decided on so far:

1. Classic style
   Why is it half of the American travelers I see out there look like they just came from a campsite? It seems style completely goes out the window when people think of ‘practical travel wear’. I don’t want to stick out as being a ‘tourist’, but I also don’t want the smelly traveler look either. Solution- Classic European style. Solid colors, flattering cuts, and traditional styles that are consistent in just about every country- think more business casual and weekend wear rather than vacation or camping duds. I would rather look like I was there on business than appear to have wondered out of an Army surplus store.
2. Dress like a local
   I plan on keeping a 20% space reserve for purchasing clothing locally. Not only does this add to the experience, but it will be climate appropriate as well as fashionable for the area. Just make sure you sanity check it with what the locals are wearing around you. Local does not mean buying a local language t-shirt from a tourist trap or donning traditional costumes from 400 years ago.
3. Synthetics
   This is a necessary element, but I want to try and limit the tourist vibe these clothing styles scream. They wash easily and dry quickly, which is essential for hot and humid climates, so a must in the undergarment department. I am limiting the outerwear to a single pair of pants (mostly for mosquito protection) and a light rain shell jacket.
4. Footwear
   Space is limited, but its still a good idea to have options. I plan on bringing a versatile pair of dress shoes, a pair of comfortable casual shoes, a pair of running/hiking athletic trainers, and the all important flip flops. Important note- use shoe bags/covers! This prevents your dirty shoes from mucking up your clothes. Plastic grocery bags also work well.

It isn’t necessary to pack clothes that you wouldn’t wear out normally. Many travel outfitter stores dress you in extremely versatile, but somewhat ridiculous clothes that shout tourist. Pretend you are packing for a two week trip that takes you from Maine to Florida, if you live in an area with seasons, I bet you have everything you need in your closet already. What you don’t have you can buy there.

Looking to learn while you travel? Try an online college!