How to make the most of your road trip around New Zealand
Road tripping around New Zealand
If you're going to New Zealand and have a decent amount of time, the best way to see it is to do a road trip! Campervan hire can be expensive, so a more budget option is picking a car and just buying a cheap tent! Bear in mind that some camping spots are for self-contained vehicles only (i.e. a campervan) but this didn't really affect us much.
Camping equipment
The best place to start looking for camping equipment is the second-hand shops, known as 'Op Shops' in NZ. It's worth having a rummage in a few different places as you can find some real gems for a proper bargain!
Our favourite items were our little gas stove, picnic blanket, tupperware boxes and the basic cooking equipment we found. A water container is a good investment, but we made do with several water bottles and never had a problem.
For anything you don't manage to find in op shops, facebook marketplace is a good option to buy second-hand items. If not, you can check out The Warehouse and Kmart for new but budget options.
Must-have apps
To make your road trip as fun and easy as possible, here are the best apps to have, all of which are free to download!
Campermate
This app is excellent for finding camping spots. You can filter results by price, or by the type of vehicle allowed. We used it to find almost all of our camping spots, and were always very pleased with the options shown!
Gaspy
Fuel will be a big expense for your road trip, and this app shows you the cheapest fuel stations near you or from a certain location. It also helps you apply any discounts you have, and show colour-coded maps for the prices in an area.
RefillNZ
When on the road, it can sometimes be hard to find drinking water, particularly in the more remote or northern parts of the country. The places shown on this app are restaurants, cafes, or any venue that allow you to refill your water bottles for free, no matter the amount you need! Any public drinking fountains or refill stations are also shown, so the app covers all the possible options to get clean water.
Top camping spots
If you're interested in any custom travel services to help plan your route, please check out this guide.
Thanks!
I hope this guide has been helpful to give you a few hints and tricks to improve your road trip in New Zealand.
Have the best time exploring this amazing country!
Travel insurance
Going on a trip? Don’t forget to buy your travel insurance; I use SafetyWing which is the best option out there. It’s super flexible as it’s a rolling monthly subscription, so you can cancel or extend whenever! It also covers all manner of activities, so whatever you’re up to, you’re covered! And the best part is that with this link it’s $10 off your first month!!
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