Our first Campervan Experience

Its Lock-down everywhere.. "Corona" , The most heard word of the year..Its tough time for me as well.. We had planned my Mom and Son's travel to New Zealand and there came the Border Closure announcement from Ardern's Government. We had to cancel their travel plans and here I am , terribly longing to hold my Amudhan in arms again.. The most satisfying part is my husband came a week before the Lock-down started and he is now Locked Down with me here.. :P

My ever busy astute young entrepreneur husband is having an unplanned long vacation. Having moved to Alert Level 1 in New Zealand , We are back in toes again which means , we are free to move around. We deliberately wanted a break from the New Normal's routine. After carefully checking the norms of travel we decided to plan a trip for the Queen Birthday's long weekend.

This is my third trial on Travelogue and I had enhanced the style of narration with PhotoBlogs in between for people to skim through the photographs to get the gist of the travel path.

For people who are more interested in knowing about the Campervan related details , Italic styled paragraphs gives more details.

"One Day.. Or Day 1.." We decided on the Latter..

Our First Campervan Travel :
Day 1:

We decided to hire a Campervan as it would be one of the safest mode of travel with this Corona Level 1 Restrictions. This is the first time of its kind for us and we browsed through different sites to get the best and suitable motorhome for our travel.

"Home is wherever You Park" We finally zeroed on "BRITZ - Maui 6 berth Campervan" with https://www.britz.com/nz/en . Had a long discussion with the Customer Service people and got to know that this variant is less than one year on fleet on Road.

"If you dont know where you are going any Road will get you there" That's the situation of us when we started the travel. We had a rough plan sorted and here it goes , A Road Trip which enroutes Auckland - Coromondal - Bay Of Plenty.

The Cozy Look of the Campervan inside

We are going to travel in a motorhome and so we happily packed a lot of Groceries , Snacks and cookery requisites along with our usual pack routine. So this time , the luggage seemed even more bigger and messier. Frozen Parathas , Vegetables , Spices , Dosa Maker , Dosa Batter , Masala Items , Curd , Milk , Breads and Butter , Rice , Dhal - You name an item , we have packed it. Typical Indian trip wala Tomato Thokku and Fresh Puliogare Mix is also gonna travel with us.

Get , Set , Go

At 3 o clock , a 40$ cab drivef from our home in CBD to the Campervan Rentals which is close to the Airport. Guys at Britz - our campervan hirer are all well organized , we had completed payment during our online booking itself and there were very few formalities done after which they handed over a detailed manual which had a clear picture led explanation of how to use the Motorhome.
We took some 20 minutes to literally study the vehicle. It was a cozy little home with a two bed berth above the driver seat , comfy sofa cum bed at the vehicle's back corner. There is a four burner Gas Stove top with lots of storage area , a sink , a small refrigerator and all the required cutleries.
We neatly arranged all our groceries and baggages in the designated areas so that place looks cozy and comfortable.
Small tips to have a relaxing campervan drive : All the drawer sections should be locked properly , all the baggages should be tightly arranged , there should not be any small or big items roaming around in the motorhome. Its better to avoid placing unwashed utensils in the sink during the travel , as it might cause annoying tingling sound which irritates the person who is driving.



All set to drive.. ! Comfortably seated and with our all time travel guide Shortcut Sundari(that's how my husband calls the Google Maps) in hand directing to the "Coromondal" , our travel on the Auckland's motorway for the first two hours was very very packed. There were too many vehicles packed in Road due to the long weekend , we had to literally move like  a tortoise.

First Mistake - We took the Motorway route instead of the Country side route which is the coastal route besides the sea. Its always better to Country side route from Auckland to Coromondal to start the trip with a pleasant drive.

We had to stop at a place as we were also trying to figure out how the toilet flush works. The water flushed was getting filled rather than draining out. It took a few minutes to read through the manual and got to know that there is a small flap in the toilet basin which should be turned to open the grey water tank below the vehicle , so that the waste water flushes out.

Best part of Campervan travelling in New Zealand is  , there are many places for the campervan travellers to fill up water , drain their waste water(Dumpsites) , Free Camping Areas etc. We have to be very careful in night camping as we cannot do Freedom Camping anywhere. There are designated spots for Free Camping at nights which can be got from apps like 'Campermate' and 'Motor4Home'.
These apps have every required detail of Campervan Travel in New Zealand. It tracks your current location and shows the Free Camping spots , dumping areas , paid Campgrounds , fuel station , etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2zsxritt2I


We had decided to stay at "Thames" the first day night. Travelling in Summer in New Zealand was so much fun as the days were long and we had a very long time to travel and explore things. With day light savings on and winter mode , days are very short and becomes dark by 5.30.  We had already decided a place to camp our night.

We reached the place following the directions by 'Campermate'. There will be boards which says that the place is suitable for Freedom Camping , only then we are allowed to stay there, else $200 fine , better to be careful. That night was a very different experience as it was our first stay in a motorhome. There were toilet facilities nearby and we can use them if we are not comfortable with the small toilet room space inside our vehicle.

Hot Chiken Curry and Dosa from the home made batter made a delicious end to the first day.

Chef in Action 

Pic of the Day

Good Night for the day , we are going to sleep as we are going to have a very long day tomorrow.

Day 2:

We had to get up early as we are going to the famous "Hot Water Beach" today. The best time for the Hot water beach is 2 hours before or after the Low Tide time. We had seen that Low Tide today is at 6.30 AM , so the best time is between 4.30 AM and 8.30 AM. We started early before dawn from Thames and it was raining very heavily throughout our way. We were very skeptic if our whole trip plan is going to be a flop. We reached the Hot Water Beach and parked our vehicle , paid for the parking 0.5 km away from the beach , packed our fresh clothing , took our umbrellas , walked to the spot.We can rent shovels there to dig the pool.

Hot Water Beach is the result of underground Geothermal activity 2km beneath the surface. That means , at low tide , you can bring your own shovel , dig your own personal naturally hot water spa pool.
"Sky Above , Sea beside ,  Sand Below , Peace Within.. "

The place was quite empty and we managed to have our own cute pool of very hot water to have a dip. It was drizzling with mild cold wind and we could happily lie down in the hot water bed and have a pleasing sight of the waves moving towards you. I just closed my eyes for a moment to rejoice the heavenly feeling of water droplets over my face and the soothing sound of the waves.
We went and played in the Freezing cold waves and came back literally running to our Hot water pools. I had a small nap for sometime , when the high tides started and our small banks of sand were getting washed away , we got up and started walking to the bath area.

Hot Water Spa Pool and the Freezing Cold Waves

After the Crispy dosas, tomato chutney and a heavenly hot Coffee  combined with  heavy rains in our Motorhome we started our drive to the next destination , The Cathedral Cove.

Cozy Couch and a simple Cuisine

Coromondal Cave has a limited parking slots and we luckily found a cool spot for our beast and started the walk towards the Cove.  The pleasant Cliff walk in the coastal trail is combined with a picturesque view of the Sea and a decent dip through the Groves. As we walk further down we reach the end with wooden plank of steps and we are here. 

Walkway to the Paradise

Cathedral Cove

To the Massive Photogenic Rock Archway framing the white sandy beach and gently lapping ocean in one perfect shot. We entered the cave to sit quietly for a while to hear the blasting sounds of high waves hitting the archway. Turn back to see the greeny or bluey or turquiosy ocean and a waterfall at the other corner with the single Glittery Stream decorated with the natural Rainbow colours. An Absolute treat to the eyes.

You , Me and the Sea

If Life is so blue, then select another colour from the Rainbow

After the walk back to our Motorhome  and a authentic Puliogare Rice for the taste buds , we started to our next destination.A luckily picked sunny evening to take a walk through the Karangahape gorge ,Initially set up to mine the rich gold in the area, batteries at the end of the gorge ore to extract that rare metal. Spectacularly beautiful with the frothing River flowing between towering walls of rugged rock crowned by trees and sunlight.We carefully chose among the available walk tracks - Windows Walkway Trails. 
"Taking Memories , Leaving Footprints.." The path descends via a staircase through the beautiful wooden Gorge , a curvy path through the dark old tunnels squidging through the soft mud carefully lit up by the mobile Torches and back over the river by suspension bridge, looping back to the car park along the banks of the river. 

The walk beside the derailed Route

The Happy Couple and The Happily Flowing River

The Hanging Bridge taking to the Windows Tunnel Walk

We had to drive to the Bay Of Plenty as we had booked our Private Flights to the Volcanic Island early next day.
Mistake Number 2 : Our second day of driving taught us a valuable lesson about timing. If you’re dreaming of a free camping spot in New Zealand, you might need to be an early bird and get there in at the right time. 
We reached the place at around 8 PM to find all the free camping spots taken up by others. We tried calling a handfull of paid Camping spots but they all are either full or closed by 5 PM.After a search of 3 hours , Luckily we got a Paid Campground at Whakatane Holiday Park. 

After a very long day and lots of beautiful memories , the day ended with the "Ponmagal Vandhal" - The Jyothika starrer movie ,the first OTT Original release in Amazon Prime..

Day 3:

Sunrise and Positivi-Tea

All you need is a Cup of Tea and Lots of Love

Our Campground had all the requisites that we were looking for. I would like to share every minute details of handling the Campervan. 
So first we need to empty our Grey water Tank - waste water from the Toilet Flush and the Water Water tank - water from the sink and bath area.  There will be a hose given which can be connected to the waste water tank and it can be emptied directly to the dumpsite. There will be meters indicating the levels of power, fresh water , gas and waste water.  Every campsite will have the option to power your vehicle if required. 

Emptying the waste water in the Dumpsite

Filling Fresh Water

Waste Disposal

After the morning routine and a short walk exploring the camping area we got all set for our Private Flight to Volcanic Island.

Our Campsite

It is our first private flight experience and we are quite excited to take up the journey ahead to the New Zealand's most Young and Active Volcano - The White Island.

Your wings already exists.. All you need is to Fly.. Let your dreams take Flight..

Jo , our pilot , Vicky and I are all set with the suits we started scenic flight.... !!!!

                                   Scintillating Views of the Sea

                                   Shiny Streaks of the Sun

                                   Serene Green Farmlands beneath

                                   Stylistic Voice of our Super Skilled Pilot echoing in Ears 

                                   Splendid Sights of the Island from a Bird's Eyeview

                                   Silvery Lined Sea with Sulphur-coated base area

                                   Smoggy fumes out of the ash Soaked crater

                                   Solemnly Surrounded by fresh Blue Sea

                                   Scorching Hot Volcanic Lava

                                  Sophisticatedly Seated Stunning wonderland 
                                                                           -The White Island

All set for our Private Flight

Let me try Steering

Jo,Me and Vicky

Shiny Streaks of the Sun decorating the Sea and the Clouds

Flying High..

White Island - The  Young and Active Volcano

Lava and the Crater

After a wonderful lifetime experience , we started our drive with our minds packed with the stunning views. We are heading towards the Mc Laren Falls Park and on our way we stopped in a silent beach to treat our tummies hot Egg Rice :P

Meals on Wheels - Beachside Motel

Join me with scrambled Egg Rice

We are now in the Mc Laren Falls Park. An absolute slice of Heaven , I would call. We had parked our beast in a comfortable parking lot of the Park. The Park offers a wide range of walks and you can happily spend one full day soaking in the beauty of Nature . 

"A walk in Nature walks the soul back home" This fits in rightly to the place we are in now. We walked hand in hand along the banks of the lake. As we sit with our legs dangling in the water, we  have to appreciate the awesome power of nature. The park has is studded with a number of picturesque stuffs. 
The wooden planked bridge connecting the Cherry Bay Lands , Orange and Yellow coloured leaves, covering the pathway and walkway , Chirping Birds happily strolling around in the water , Short and Crisp Walkway to a mild Waterfall..

Love , Life , Lake and Leaves

Single Streak of Waterfall

We waited till the dusk to have a scintillating glowworm walk. The glowworms - the minmini poochi were the star of the evening. Covered with native wetland and the picturesque bushes,the walk itself is a serene show.Walking around the paved natural trail lightened up by the glittery green Glowworms is an absolute pleasure.

"I wish I could bottle this peace and bring it back with me , to occasionally open and clear my mind"

Today we started a little early to park our vehicle and spotted a a charming camp spot with wavy backwaters of Tauranga. It was raining heavily and the calm silent feel gave a peaceful atmosphere to sleep.

Day 4:

This day started with a very relaxing cup of Coffee enjoying the rains and some mild melody songs running in the background. We wanted to have a relaxing morning and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

Filter Coffee ? Idhu Bru da.. 

Heart Warming Coffee on a Cold Rainy Morning

Rains were predicted and our plan of taking the walk along the "Tauranga Street Art" got changed into drive along the same way. Watery Roads , Windy Space , Cool Air , Silent Roads were already making the city artistic. The Street Arts were treat to the eyes and we tried to follow the "Street Art Map" given by the Tauranga Council and managed to see some beautiful Paintings.

Creativity never goes out of Style

We then headed to the Mount Hot Pools. Relax like there is no tomorrow.. To battle with the pretty cold New Zealand's weather , is there anything better than soaking and swimming in the soothing Hot Spring.. ! Rebalance your body and soul with a massage beneath the majesty of Mount Maunganui speaks the lines. We took our own little world of Private Hot water pool to have a convenient soak. The Hot massage Jets with bubbly hot water , a mild drizzle and a perfect music made the mind , body and soul blank.. 
And this day became even more fruitful as I learnt properly to do a butterfly swim and free style swim from Vicky. 

Jump In and Get Lost

After the most relaxed activity , we decided to take the Base Track around the Mount Manganui. We had parked our home in a wonderful location in front of the Beach. We had prepared some chapathis and aloo curry in the morning. After the swim we were so hungry to gobble the food.

A short break before I start again

Khana

Our walk started from the Pilot Bay. By then it started to rain heavily but stuck to our plan of walking around the mountain. We were walking on a high tide time and with the rains accompanying us with the walk. It was an exhilarating experience to walk along the cliff overlooking the vast ocean and getting splashed by the high tide waves.

Deep Blue Sea

As we walked along the coastal track ,we also got to see people surfing along with the high tides. Back to our pavilion now.After a small rest and a walk around the Tauranga's shopping area we went to rest in a paid Campspot for the night.

Day 5:
We started very early as we had some formalities with the campervan to be done before we return.

Empty Waste Water Tank , Empty Grey Water Tank , Clean Indoors , Full LPG , Full Fuel  - Points to be noted. As stated earlier "Campermate" app gives all the required spots for us to handle the Campervan.The LPG cylinder can be topped up in any gas agency before we return.

We returned our vehicle and came back to home to the "New Normal"

This Guy of Mine :)

Travelling - It leaves you Speechless and makes you Storyteller