Profile
Manuel Fessler
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Opua ▷
Hundertwasser Carpark, Kawakawa
Nice trees and shady spots.
Only 4 spots but in the end there were 10 vans. A bit noisier than other sites due to its location on town. Toilet was ok but only the one for handicapped was open.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Tapotupotu Campsite
Awesome location, quiet at night and not too busy.
But the mosquitos were KILLING me! Slept like 2 hours!
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaikohe ▷
The Cowshed
Super nice owner, weak but free wifi, hot shower, basic facilities but everything you need, nice surroundings, $10/person.
Recommended.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga ▷
Seabreeze Holiday Park
Almost no competition in this area which is probably why we had to pay $40 for a non powered site for two (mid Dec).
Wifi only for 30 mins and shower is 50 cent. Stayed only because we had no alternatives.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga ▷
Tangiora Avenue
Only two sites so be early or ask if someone will leave.
I heard that the council checks regularly but there were other vans staying over night and they didn't seem to have issues. Awesome view over the bay, basic toilet, shower, picnic table and a little shaded area. So everything you need.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Turangi ▷
Urchin Carpark
I don't really know what score to give.
The clearing is just gorgeous and the forest surrounding it is otherworldly beautiful. You can hear strange bird sounds, have a fire and see loads of stars. Getting there was a real pain though and iIwas afraid we would damage our rental van. Also the toilet was the smelliest I have ever seen. Despite its remoteness it was quite busy and people arrived till late night. But there is quite some space so things don't get too cramped.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Camperco
We had the smallest van (Toyota Estima i think) for about 30 days.
PROS:
- Cheapest fare we could find. We even got a bit cheaper by taking the van for a few days longer because of the discount that gives you.
- Support was very friendly and met all our requests in the planning process.
- Van was in good condition and basically had everything we needed.
- Someone hit our van on a car park and ran. No issues with the company whatsoever.
- No attempts to rip us off or charge anything extra later on.
CONS/SUGGESTIONS:
- Pickup (Auckland) seemed a bit scetchy as it was not their official site but some partner of theirs? Made me feel uncomfortable as a first-time-van-renter.
- Same with drop off (Queenstown airport). A guy who I almost couldn't understand told me to just place the car on a car park and leave the keys inside.
- The 12V fridge is a huge plus in my oppinion but you should include a long cable for use on powered sites. Otherwise it's useless. We brought our own cable and some adapters to power the fridge and charge devices.
Why I would choose a bigger van next time:
- Too cramped for such a long time
- The bed was not too comfortable as it consited of individual pillows (we never used the "seating area configuration" anyway). These pillows were not thick enough and kept sliding apart.
All in all the van was a really nice part of our journey and considering the price a really good deal. A bit of improvisation here and there and you can make it feel like home :)