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Date:         Thu, 10 Oct 2002 20:07:14 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Calling NZ and Australia
Comments: To: Hermann the German <urlauber10@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <F94seVwrblZz02H67yR00000069@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1

>Planning a vacation in NZ and/or Australia next summer -June,July,August -. > > My biggest concern is the weather. I know this is your winter down >under. Is RVing still an option? What routes or sights would you >recommend? I have a 5 year-old son and a 8 year-old daughter. Great >campers, but if it doesn't involve sand, water or animals we don't >stop. > >Any advice,info is greatly appreciated. > >Cheers, >Hermann de Boer

Hi Hermann

Gleetings from NZ.

Spring is well under way, and we are getting the usual all-seasons-in-one-day, but this is normal for Dunedin year-round!

Campers are popular here year-round too. Lots of choices, check out <www.nzoom.com>, I think you should be able to locate the rental companies this way. Choices of Frod Transit, Toyota Hiace, Mercedes and (believe it or not) SWB LandCruiser wagon. Gas & diesel (diesel is way cheaper here than gas, about 71¢/liter cf about $1.00+/l). $1.00NZ=~0.42US.

North Island: I haven't spent any time there, but the Bay of Islands and generally the east coast of the Northland Peninsula are great. See the volcanoes too (clouds permitting) Egmont and Ruapehu. Geothermal stuff (eg boiling mud pools and sulfurous stink) in Rotorua. Assuming you arrive in Auckland, I'd suggest a scenic route (that's pronounced "root", not "rout") from there up Northland to North Cape/Cape Reinga and back; then SE to Tauranga, across the Bay of Plenty to Parengarenga (do a diversion to Rotorua from there and back to Parengarenga) and around East Cape through Gisborne; do a diversion (about 1hr 30min each way) at Wairoa to Lake Waikaremoana; back at Wairoa, head south to Napier and inland to Taupo and the volcanoes; at the south end of Lake Taupo head west to the west coast and south to my Egmont, then south to the ferry at Wellington (not a cheap ferry trip!).

South Island: Off the ferry at Picton after a 3.5-hour trip which takes you through the drowned valley system of Queen Charlotte Sound. From there, head south through Blenheim to Kaikoura (boat trips to molest sperm whales; furseal colony) and on to Christchurch (nothing much to see there, especially the pathetic excuse of a church they call a "cathedral", but Akaroa Harbor might be worth a drive... watch long downhills, I lost the brakes in a Scirocco foing down to Akaroa town) and on to Dunedin (hills, beaches, 2 species of penguins and 2 of seals, harbor cruises). South to Balclutha and off the main highway to Owaka and around the SE coast via Roaring Bay at Nugget Point (fossils in beach boulders) and nice native beech forest and beaches; Curio Bay (fossil forest) and Invercargill (a hole); head west through Riverton and then up the Waiau River (one of several Waiaus in NZ) to Te Anau and Milford Sound (really a fjord, not a sound, and note that Kiwis don't know how to spell "fjord") and a boat trip up the fjord. Back to Te Anau and east to Mussburn; north to Queenstown, then north to Haast and up the west coast to Greymouth, then inland and NE to Nelson, north to Takaka (over Takaka Hill, a major caving area... walk to see Harwood's Hole, a 600+-foot-deep open shaft). Several beachside motorcamps in the general Takaka area. See Pupu Springs too.

Note that it is not illegal to camp outside campgrounds, but respect "no camping" signs (within reason...) and private property. If it's not fenced, assume it's public land, and camp if you like. Then back to Nelson and east to Picton.

Isn't your last name Dutch? -- Andrew Grebneff 165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut


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