387 Main Road Sh1 Orewa, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand
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Hi, I will be in NZ for 5 weeks in July/August, travelling with 2 teenagers. We will probably hire a campervan and do a trip from Northland to Canterbury. Is this feasible in a campervan or will it be too cold? Are the campsites open in winter? I have seen on the forum that some people have gone for the hire car/staying in cabins option, but I'm wondering if this is more suitable for a summer trip, would cabins be too cold in winter?
Does anyone have any special advice for a winter trip? Thanks! Gail
If you travel by campervan in winter you should really have one with good heating system, or it can become rather chilly, even in subtropical Northland.
To me, the biggest advantage of doing the car/cabin or motel thing is that in case of rain you have a real roof over your head, can dry your clothes and shoes well, do not have to walk through the rain to the facilities, and keep the heating going if you are cold without additional costs.
I have seen many people who have travelled by campervan in winter, and keep on seeing them. But the ones I offered a warm room and easily accessible shower for a few nights were very grateful ;-) But I can assure you, everybody has survived the cold so far ;-)))
You might encounter snow in the centre of the North Island (Desert Road/Tongariro National Park), and everywhere in Canterbury, especially in the hills and on the pass roads. This can chill down the atmosphere quite a lot.
I,m sure cabins would provide heaters of some sort, admittedly we didn,t use cabins in N.Z. but have in Australia and they are well equipped.
Rather than the cold (which it will certainly be in the South) your biggest problem will probably be sharing a small space with 2 teenagers for 5 weeks, trust me! Before moving to NZ 14 years ago, we did 3 x one month trips with our kids and we hired a car and stayed in motels. It is great to have real warmth, electric blankets, unlimiited hot showers, laundry & drying facilities and loads of space. Even keeping a campervan clean and tidy with 3 or 4 occupants and their belongings is a mission! Friends who have done it and survived told us their stories. Whatever you choose, have a great experience in the greatest little country in the World.
While I live in Auckland for over 3 years, I saw a quite lot of people walking on the street even at downtown with bare feet. As we know there is not much polution in New Zealand, however it is not such a good idea to release your stinking feet for more freedom I think...
If you are from Asia , you will find this an interesting activity , mainly because you get to pick you own strawberries or Plums. You don't get those farms there if you come from a tropical countries. This is seasonal activity in the summer.
You can pick your own strawberries in a farm at Coatesville near Dairy Flats, Albany.
Fresh strawberries taste a lot sweeter than those you find in the supermarket or fruit stalls.
There is no entrance charge, you get a tray at the entrance and start picking ( and eating) and pay for what you take home.
Victoria Park Market, when it first opened back in the 80s, was primarily a craft market with ethnic food stalls. It was a cosmopolitan, bustling place then. Now, it has downsized and fancy eateries have replaced the stalls and souvenir shops are really the only retail outlets there.
However, the souvenir shops, in my opinion, are some of the best in Auckland and they seem better priced than those in Queen Street. You can buy reasonably priced t-shirts that are a bit different to the mass produced stuff in the city centre. It is worth a look - you might find something special to remind yourself of your trip to Auckland. Shirts, souvenirs, food. You can pick up some nice shirts for about NZ$10 - which is pretty good.
TROY is along Ponsonby Rd,which is one of Auckland's many elite restuaruant strips.As well as bellydancing and lots of ambiance,there are three menus - Turkish,Italian and New Zealand foods!All amazing! Well,you can get real,tasty New Zealand steak,an authentic Turkish kebab or amazing Italian pasta!
Casera is a great wee place on K Road near Hereford street. It has very few seats inside though there are several out back for the smokers. Casera makes very good coffee. It has a few yummy slices and rolls plus a rather well put together menu of the sort of stuff you would expect from a full on Cafe. The place can get very busy around morning tea and lunch time however it's a good place to check out if you want somewhere to sit and watch the life on K Road.
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