Profile
Susan H
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Christchurch ▷
Cruzy Campers
Just back in UK after touring NZ from top to bottom for 3 and 1/2 months (Aug - Nov, 2016) in Cruzy Camper's 2/3 berth,hi-top,diesel Toyota Hiace van.
I named my lovely van Suzy (so Suzy Cruzy) and she did me proud. The Cruzy team paid excellent attention to all details (provided maps, NZ pay-as-you-go phone, travel advice, convenient pick-up/drop-off locations, very quick response to any queries) and my van was clean and very well equipped. Suzy Cruzy ran extremely well despite being an old girl (10+ years). I think this is due to the fact that the Cruzy team are maintenance experts (they also run a car/van repair service) so their camper-vans are checked/maintained/serviced very, very regularly. In 3 and 1/2 months of touring I only had one small problem with wind-screen wipers (due to gale-force winds hitting them side-on) and this was sorted out very quickly and efficiently by the team. Had the most amazing time in NZ and Cruzy Campers were a big contributor to this. Thanks Kylie and Daniel - already looking forward to my next trip.
Hi Sue,
you are a true inspiration.
It was so lovely to meet you.
I do hope you come again someday, i would love to hear about more of your amazing journeys!!
It was our pleasure to be able to look after you while you were here.
Kylie Brand
Cruzy Campers
Kylie and Daniel Brand
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Glenorchy ▷
Sylvan Campsite
Lovely DOC campground with beautiful views of surrounding mountains and soothing sound of the nearby Routeburn River.
Extremely well located for both Lake Sylan Walk and Routeburn Track (both start at the campground) and the Routeburn Great Walk (5 km further down gravelled road). Facilities are basic - long drop toilets, clean water supply - good value for NZD 8 per adult per night. Individual sites are well spaced out so you don't feel cramped - many are both levelled and gravelled so easy for camper-vans. Highly recommend.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Glenorchy ▷
Routeburn Track
Awesome, amazing, gorgeous.
I did as a day-walk - started at the Routeburn Shelter and walked to the snowline just above Lake Harris and back (took 6hrs 45 mins including a couple of quick rest stops). Breathtaking scenery - which gets better and better as you ascend. The track is very well maintained and easy to follow. I checked out (didn't stay) the Routeburn Falls Hut on the way. Wow - an architect's dream with huge verandah over-looking the valley and very spacious facilities. Very special walk - DOC I salute you.
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Portobello ▷
Portobello Village Tourist Park
Lovely small-medium sized campground in excellent location on the Otago Peninsula.
Its situated on the main peninsula road (the Portobello Road) roughly in the middle between Dunedin and Taiaroa Head - so good for both city visiting (11 miles South West), Albatross/Penguin spotting (11 miles North East) and visiting Larnach Castle (3 miles South West). Very friendly and informative hosts, squeaky clean facilities and well planned campsites (particularly compared to some bigger campgrounds I've stayed in where I've felt quite squashed). Its also an easy walk from the campground into Portobello village which has a most excellent fish & chip shop (fully tested by me and very good).
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Mossburn ▷
Mossburn Country Park
On a 3 month camper-van tour of NZ - this is one of my top 3 campgrounds so far.
The campground is in great location (very convenient for anyone doing all or part of the Southern Scenic Route tour and/or on route to Queenstown or Te Anau/Milford Sound), spacious, lovely facilities (I really liked the wooden cabin sitting room), beautifully maintained, peaceful and has beautiful views towards the Southern Alps. What makes this park very special is the owners' working farm which surrounds the campground. The owners leave out pots of food (cereal nuts) that you can safely feed to their Alpacas, Goats, Sheep and Chickens. The animals come running when you shake your pot and queue up to be fed. Really lovely experience. Enjoyed meeting Andrew the golden labrador too. I was planning just a 1 night stop-over but extended my stay as liked it so much. Highly recommended.
Thank you very much Susan for your review. It was a pleasure meeting and chatting with you. We're also pleased the new lounge/sitting room cabin worked for you. We now know we can add more in the future and they will get used regularly with pleasure. The day you left, one of our ewes had a lamb! That wasn't supposed to happen! Looks like one of our boys is a ram after all. It is great to have our animals here, we adore them and want to share that special kind of relationship people have with animals. Pity you didn't get to see the two ginger cats we have here, we have to get them out into the park more often so people who are missing their cats can have a kitty cuddle. Andrew is great for doggy cuddles, and he's always willing to meet anyone who's wanting to see him and cuddle him to bits. Have a wonderful time that you have remaining in NZ!
Stuart and Colleen
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Bluff ▷
Beaks and Feathers Guided Walks
Excellent guided walks company on Rakiura-Stewart Island who run several guided walks around Rakiura-Stewart Island and Ulva.
I did the 3 hour walk on Ulva Island with Angie (the company founder). Wow! Angie knew so much from so many different aspects. She talked to me about me the island's (1) history, (2) flora, (3) fauna and (4) geology all the while keeping her super-tuned eyes and ears open to point out both the shy and cheeky birds floating around in the bush. I had thought of going on the self-guided tour which I'm sure would have been fun but also pretty sure I would not have seen 80% of the birds I saw with Angie. Highlights were seeing a very shy, very well-camouflaged Morepork, several Saddlebacks and jelly-like ferns (weirdly beautiful). Also fascinating to hear about Angie's experience being a member of the team that worked over several years to clear Ulva of predator animals to make it a safe haven for NZ's endangered birds. Highly recommend.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Na Clachan Wine Tours Marlborough
Enjoyed a splendid wine tasting tour and lunch with Helen and Chris of Na Clachan in Sep 2016.
Absolutely great time had by myself and fellow wine tourist (Andy). Thoroughly recommend Na Clachan to anyone who wants to book a similar wine tasting tour.
HISTORY: Na Clachan is Scots Gaelic meaning ‘the stones’ or a ‘meeting place’. Helen explained the name reflected the Na Clachan team’s desire to bring people together in a stony place (characteristic of Marlborough region's soils) to meet, taste and enjoy wine together.
LOGISTICS: Very straightforward. Na Clachan team picked up and dropped off myself and my fellow wine tourist at our camp-site doorsteps. Could not be more easy and convenient logistics wise.
WHAT TOUR COVERS: Very Comprehensive. My tour started with lunch and wine-tasting at the Allan Scott family winery (excellent opportunity to make sure your stomach is fully lined before wine tasting) then visit to a further 4 wineries selected by Helen. Lunch and tour lasted from 12 noon to 5 pm. You can choose which wineries to go to and Na Clachan team will plan into your tour. In my case I was happy to go with whatever Helen suggested.
FRIENDLINESS/KNOWLEDGE OF TEAM: Excellent. Most of my tour was with Helen. Helen combined knowledge, experience and fun in a perfect package. She helped me expand my wine-tasting descriptions from “yummy” and “deelish” to “spicy”, “lemon and limey” and even “flinty/minerally”. She also introduced me to the wonders of NZ’s Gerwurtraminers (total revelation - my new favourite wine). Honestly can't think of a better person to go wine-tasting with (note– I started the lunch part of tour with Chris who was also great – thanks Chris).
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ New Plymouth ▷
Fitzroy Beach Holiday Park
Stayed here for 3 days in a powered camper-van site whilst on a 3-month tour around New Zealand.
Absolutely loved this place. One of the best campgrounds I’ve experienced in my travels.
HISTORY: The campground has been in place for years but was taken over by new owners/mgt. in July 2014 and completely re-furbished/re-planned/set-up in the last 24 months. As a result the facilities and amenities are in beautiful condition (as at Sep 2016).
LOCATION:: Unbeatable. Right by the beach so literally a 50 metre stroll through the dunes to get onto the black volcanic sands of New Plymouth beach. The Coastal Walkway runs alongside the campground so you can walk along its length yourself for a city and nature view. Approx. 5 minute stroll from the campground up to local Sandon shops and a 15 – 20 minute stroll along the Coastal Walkway right into the city centre for the New Plymouth Art Gallery and Museum, cafes, restaurants and bars. The local Fitzroy swimming pool (if you don’t fancy a sea-dip) is also a 5 minute walk away.
FACILITIES – Excellent. Spotlessly clean bathrooms/toilets/laundries. Lovely kitchens and lounges in 2 separate service-huts (servicing both ends of the campsite) plus outdoor decked areas for sitting out on.
CAMP PITCHES: Camper-van powered sites were well spaced out – and a lot of them. I stayed on pitch P30 which was particularly nice as slightly elevated so could see the sea over the trees.
AMBIENCE: Very peaceful and relaxed when I was here in NZ Winter season. Plenty of space between powered sites so zero feeling of being cramped or overlooked.
HELPFULNESS/FRIENDLINESS OF STAFF: Excellent. Staff were extremely helpful and took time to explain about the local walks and “must-sees” of New Plymouth.
OTHER: Comparing this Fitzroy Campground with its local alternative (Belt Road Campground – also very good) I preferred this Fitzroy campground due to its amazing beach side location.