A campervan or motor home holiday in New Zealand is the best way to see this fantastic country. There are so many places to go and so many fantastic attractions to visit that this is the only way that you can do them all. In New Zealand, there is a huge industry of campervan and motor home rentals and the major cities on both the north and the south island all have major depots that are located close to the international airports. There are a large number of companies to choose from and the range of available vehicles is fantastic. Both islands also have a support network and there are lots of camping areas and van parks to stay at. Most of these are fully equipped with kitchen and laundry facilities, showers and toilets, powered sites, swimming pool and activities rooms, tour booking services and a wealth of local knowledge to pass on to visiting travelers.

In New Zealand there is a network of sealed highways that cover both islands and all of the major attractions have sealed road access. Many of the most scenic regions are very mountainous and this means that you must travel at a leisurely pace. This will add to your enjoyment of the trip but it does mean that you cannot move quickly from region to region. The most important places to include on your itinerary are as follows. On the North Island you will start your trip from Auckland. First, you must travel north through Wanganui to the Bay of Islands region. This area is steeped in New Zealand history. Visit the town of Paihia and the Waitangi treaty grounds where the initial treaty was signed between the Moari and the British. Travel north to Cape Reinga and then south along the west coast through the forest of the giant Kauri trees. Stop and see "Tane Mahuta" which is the second largest tree in the world and also call at the kauri museum.

Travel south through Auckland and then on to the Coromandel peninsular. Drive north to the town of Coromandel and then south along the coast through Pauanui and Whangamatta to the city of Tauranga. Explore the Bay of Plenty region and then continue on to Rotorua and Lake Taupo. Here you will find the most geothermally active region in the world.

Drive west from here and see the famous Waitomo caves and then south to the Tongoriro National Park with its active volcano’s and ski resorts. From here, cross over the island to the east coast and see Napier and the Hawkes Bay region. Stay a day or so enjoying the local wines and restaurants. From Napier drive to the southern end of the north island to Wellington which is the capital of New Zealand. You must visit TePapa which is the national museum and take the cable car to the summit of the mountain. From here you can fly to Christchurch on the south island or take your camper across Cook Straight on the ferry.

If you start your south island trip in Christchurch drive north along the east coast and visit Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura then drive north and visit Blenheim and Nelson. Travel down the west coast and see the magnificent Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers and then cross the range at the Haast pass and drive on to visit Wanaka and Queenstown. This is one of the prettiest regions in New Zealand, filled with lakes and snow capped mountain ranges. A trip out to Milford sound is essentialand will take you through some of New Zealands most awesome mountain scenery. The south coast is also very scenic and the cities of Invercargill and Dunedin are worth visiting. Return to Christchurch via Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo.

This itinerary will ensure that you see all the major tourist icons in New Zealand and if you then want a campervan or motor home holiday in Australia your camping holidays will be complete and remembered forever.

NZ Campers