Mt Cook from the Lake Pukaki freedom camping area. ©2023 M Richardson Summer 2023 ISSUE 6 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Mt Cook from the Lake Pukaki Up M Richardson Mt Cook from the Lake Pukaki freedom camping area. ©2023 M Richardson Up Up Mt Cook_MNR_5721_mw.webp Mt Cook_MNR_5721_mw.webp 1/1

12 Winter 2025 ISSUE 12 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption love-taupo_H_sunday-market.webp GO TO Chilly chilly chilly out there 7 out of 10 Love Taupō Gary Stoneley We would give the Taupō District council a 7 out of 10 for their updated Freedom Camping Bylaw. Some things need more consideration but with options for both self-contained and non self-contained campers it’s a vast improvement. If it is not orange, then it is ok to feedom camp. Check their website for the rules. Being able to park up, do your shopping, enjoy a drink and meal at a central location, spending money in the town centre is a huge plus. There are still multiple commercial campgrounds for those wanting such facilities. It’s now a more affordable and inviting stopover for anyone wanting to do things like lake cruises and enjoy the cafés, restaurants and shops. 🏕️ Images: lovetaupo.com Up Up 12 Winter 2025 , p 2

2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Never wipe them dry and especially do not polish them TIP: Solar panel cleaning Collyn Rivers Except in rainy areas solar panels need cleaning from time to time. Use a tiny amount of washing up detergent, a cloth and warm, clean water. Rinse, using a trace of detergent in otherwise clean water. Let solar modules dry naturally. Never wipe them dry and especially do not polish them. Doing either builds up an electrostatic charge that attracts dust. A trace of detergent in the rinsing water acts and an effective anti-static barrier. Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 23

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption what is out there What is out there Tony Kissel It’s amazing what is out there to be seen when you are tucked up in bed. ◊ ©2024 Tony Kissell Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 15

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Parua Bay PHOTO: Brendan-Pol Parua Bay PHOTO: Kyn Darrah Parua Bay Parua Bay PHOTO: Priscilla-Wickenden Parua Bay PHOTO: Brendan-Pol STOP and STAY Parua Bay: stop and stay Stop and Stay Parua Bay Whangarei Heads Road, Whangarei Beachside reserve with large flat grassy area and a boat ramp. You must park in the designated site that is indicated by signage. ■ Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans; non-self-contained allowed. ■ If the site is full, you must move on. ■ Dogs allowed. ■ 3 nights max. ■ facilities: Toilets, vehicles up to 10m. ■ activities: Swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, walking. ◼️ Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 35

2 Summer 2022 Summer 2022 ISSUE 2 CONTENTS PDF BUY Up Nokomai station Dallas Hibbs Up Nokomai station on the way to Queenstown. We went there as kids; now we take our kids there. © 2022 Dallas Hibbs Up Up 1/1

6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Tiny-worst_2065_mw.webp The worst part about going camping is coming home! Jayme Groeneveld Being out in nature and sitting around the fire sharing stories is my happy place as I’m sure it is for many people. Exploring new tracks and not knowing what is around the next corner is something that brings out the little kid in us and distracts the mind from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s a therapy only campers will understand!  
©2023 Jayme Groeneveld, Chilly Bin Adventures Instagram Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 21

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption I thought I’d list a few of the resources I’ve found helpful Planning to camp with your pet? Resources Bette Cosgrove We always take Pippa with us and she loves the adventures as much as we do. I thought I’d list a few of the resources I’ve found helpful on our travels with our furry family member, but this is by no means a definitive list. Bette Cosgrove All the camping apps and DOC camping sites have a filter for searching if pets/dogs are allowed in campsites so choose that option when you search. Some campgrounds have pet exclusion policies at certain times of year, some have extra charges for pets, and there are sites with exclusive pet-friendly areas. Check before you go or when you book. Listings on stopandstaynz.org indicate if pets are allowed at sites. Kiwi Camping has a great directory of campgrounds which accept dogs : ckw.nz/kiwicamping-dogs | kiwicamping.co.nz If you’re an NZMCA member almost all sites allow well-controlled pets and some have fenced dog runs. National Parks never allow pets of any kind, even if remaining in the car so don’t take them or risk a hefty fine. DOC allow dogs into more areas if they’ve passed the wildlife/avian aversion training: ckw.nz/doc-kiwi-avoidance | ckw.nz/kiwi-avoidance Websites and apps: you can search for dog-friendly places to stay or visit, dog walking, or advice. dogalong.nz . has a website of listings that are pet friendly. All the online accommodation sites also have pet-friendly accommodation filters, eg booking.com , Bookabach , Tripadvisor and expedia.com . Top 10 holiday parks that allow dogs are listed here: ckw.nz/top-10-dogs . W alk and hike For walk and hike listings try these: andthedogcametoo.com dogpackapp.com alltrails.com/new-zealand/dogs doggies.nz ckw.nz/eukanuba-hiking-dogs ckw.nz/urbanlist-dog-walks ckw.nz/sharemypet-dog-walks Crossing Cook Strait Both ferry services accept dogs… and yes… if they’re happy you can leave them in your vehicle or there are safe crates in the cargo area. bluebridge.co.nz has pet-friendly cabins ckw.nz/interislander-pets has restrictions on number of pets in vehicles. Both ferries allow service dogs in the passenger area. Communities Communities of other dog owners can also give you the support you need so here’s Facebook pages to look for: Pet Friendly Holidays NZ Motorhoming with Pets in N.Z . Dog Friendly Accommodations New Zealand Pet Friendly Eateries and Accommodation New Zealand Anxious travellers If you have an anxious traveller consider gently trying them in your vehicle for short trips first before any long holiday journey. Transfer their favourite bed or blanket into the vehicle with them. A rescue remedy for pets can help. Consider getting advice from the experts like: Canine Friends Pet Therapy— New Zealand caninefriends.org.nz Safety Always consider safety for your pet with a well designed travelling harness and keeping plenty of water available. Opening vents and windows will keep the car cool, and we carry an extra USB rechargeable fan to move the air in the rear of a hot vehicle. Because dogs can’t regulate their body temperature cooling mats or collars might also be needed on extra hot days. Add ice blocks to water bowls and ensure there’s always a shady spot for your pet. Some people carry temporary safety fences to create a safe secure outdoor exercise space around their camp site. Vet needed? If you need urgent veterinary advice and you’re a long way from home there’s a new online triage service to connect you to a nearby vet. See HELPP Vet ◊ Images ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 29

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing No consistency. No fair control of freedom camping. Freedom camping news Bette Cosgrove Councils Many councils don’t have a bylaw, most can’t afford to enforce freedom camping laws or bylaws, and many can barely respond to complaints about freedom campers. Some have decided not to enforce the national law and have no local bylaw. Councils that DO have a bylaw are in the throes of revisiting them, as they must conform to the changed law by June next year! Whakamaru Queenstown, which had the strictest prohibitions on freedom campers in NZ and spent the most $$$ on enforcing them, now has no bylaw at all, since the High Court has declared their existing bylaw is invalid. Now they’ve got no income from fines and no more government funds to manage freedom camping, and a new bylaw to create, and might yet have to refund the fines imposed under their invalid bylaw. Ratepayers are pushing and scrambling to get councils to restrict freedom camping even more and there’s no more government / MBIE transition funding left to support local authorities to monitor their sites this summer. Vehicles Hire companies only have until Dec 7th to get the new green warrants for all their vehicles, an impossible task, given the slow and inadequate implementation of the new standards, and we are hearing their distress in the media as the deadline races towards them. The system set up by both the law and the Plumbers and Gas Fitters Board (PGDB) is not fit for the purpose of this transition period when so many vehicles require certification in a limited time. (Time will tell if it is fit for its ongoing purpose after the transition rush is over.) In the first 11 months only 6,000 green warrants have been issued overall (11/24), with so many commercial vehicles needing it and a conservative minimum of 75,000 vehicles (more likely 120,000) in NZ overall. The transition period, as people move from the old blue warrants to the new green warrants, is due to expire 6 June ’25. Minister Doocey has the power, and is considering a time extension for non-commercial camping vehicles. MBIE has consulted the public on whether or how much to extend the time (up to 2 years). (The law does not allow any time extension for hire companies.) NZMCA has over 120,000 members who get certification inspections for free. Those who wish to freedom camp (green warrant) need to pay only the government levy (there’s a different coloured warrant for those members who do not wish to freedom camp). Fixing toilets in campers Easy solutions and new affordable products are being invented in NZ to help campers permanently fix their toilets to their vehicles so they can pass the new laws and carry on camping. A vocal few, including some inspectors, are trashing some of these innovative ideas. Campers Domestic tourist freedom campers are getting angry.With 120,000 or more camping vehicles that is as many as 200,000 angry people. DOC and commercial campgrounds are nearly fully booked for the summer period in popular places, putting greater pressure on freedom camping sites. Freedom camping in Reefton, West Coast NZMCA has taken up leases on two public campgrounds in Northland. How (and whether) they manage these for the benefit of the camping public or just for the benefit of their members is a worry, particularly for those who do not camp in vehicles. NZMCA have an extensive portfolio of low-cost parks around the country for their members. Leasing exisiting parks is one way for them to extend into new areas, which becomes an issue if they disadvantage the non-member public campers, and non-vehicle campers. There are still a lot of upset regular freedom campers and permanent vehicle dwellers claiming homelessness in order to be exempt from the freedom camping law. No freedom camping laws or restrictions apply to the homeless who live in their vehicle. Overall No end to confusion and misinformation out there about what is lawful or required to be a freedom camper. No consistency. No fair control of freedom camping. It is going to be a crazy camping summer, I suspect. ◊ Reefton freedom camping, West Coast. ©2023 M Richardson Whakamaru, Waikato ©2023 Bette Cosgrove Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 10

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption The Rubbish and the hash tags #kiwicampers #sortingoutyourshit #cleanedupbyfreedomcamper #leavenotrace The clean up with its hash tag #kiwicampers #leavenotrace #cleanedupbyfreedomcamper Collect the trash, take a photo, add the hash tag and post it. Make a difference: Let's CHANGE the narrative Bette Cosgrove Let’s spread message that responsible Freedom Campers are a help. We actually like to clean up after us and others ! Just pick up litter and put it in your vans, like I do, to dispose of appropriately. Because — we have bins and bags onboard and likely some form of toileting. Let’s create a positive social media campaign. Let’s share our voices and spread the story of those who happily freedom camp, and don’t trash but clean the place! Stop the story that blames us for the public mess! HOW TO JOIN IN Collect the trash and take a photo. Post in your social media group, and your own page — an image of what you cleaned up. Say where and when. Add the hashtags: #kiwicampers #cleanedupbyfreedomcamper 
 #sortingoutyourshit #leavenotrace BY: Bette Cosgrove PHOTOS: ©2022 Bette Cosgrove Please join me or follow my instagram @vangranz Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 13

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption On the Interislander We drove from Nelson onto the Interislander and had a cruisy trip over. Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove The next day was a big one, we explored Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. If I did it again I would make sure to spend a whole day On the road Heading for the lighthouse Cape Reinga We hung around the lighthouse for a while soaking up the surreal vibes. Dawson Falls I love meeting new people, especially travellers; they are always so friendly. A North Island freedom-camping adventure Shoshanna Shand After my South Island trip, I decided I wanted to road trip the North Island and go all the way up to Cape Reinga. For me, freedom camping in the car was the best way to do it. I found some couch cushions at the recycling centre, sewing them together formed a perfect bed in the back of the car. I folded down the back seats, leaving one side with the car seat in it. This left enough space for the baby to sleep behind. I bought a gas cooker from Mitre 10 and was set to go. I also had a “pee” jug makeshift toilet which did the trick for emergencies. I had saved up $1000 and had my regular benefit payments weekly. I was still paying rent for my flat back in Nelson but I had about $300 a week to live on for food and fuel. I booked a ferry ticket for the 8th of October. I had a six-week window to do this, with no commitments. I felt so excited, yet nervous embarking on this trip. I worried about money and how it was all going to work. I didn’t plan ahead much, the extent of my plan was to go up one side and come down the other. A week before we were booked to go on the ferry, I dropped a heavy piece of wood on my toe and broke it. Ouchies. It felt okay to walk and I had a moon boot on to protect it from wild toddler and other stuff. We drove from Nelson onto the Interislander and had a cruisy trip over. I was having to hop all over the place juggling a toddler, a broken toe and all our gear. I drove straight up to Woodville to stay with some friends who gave us a horrible vomiting bug. Great start to the trip. Once recovered we headed on up to Napier where we stayed with some lovely friends, felt so classy not camping in the car. We explored Te Mata Peak which was so beautiful. We drove to the top instead of walking because why walk when you can drive). We carried on to Taupo and found a freedom camping spot near Huka Falls. This was my first proper experience of freedom camping since the Catlins. It was a cold night. I found out the gas doesn’t work when it’s really cold, so we ended up having a half-cooked dinner. That night was so cold for Spring, I wasn’t expecting it. We explored Huka Falls which was beautiful! We then drove to Rotorua for the night. We stopped in at Kerosene Creek for a swim, it was super pretty and warm but the toddler wasn’t a fan. In Rotorua we stayed at this really cool wee dinosaur park holiday park. I needed to do washing and have showers etc so it was great to freshen up. We only stayed a night in Rotorua, I wasn’t feeling the vibe, so we left the next morning and drove up the Coromandel. We skipped the Mount; I didn’t realise it was such an iconic place. I felt anxious I wouldn’t have enough time to get up to Cape Reinga before I had to go home. Turned out in the end I had plenty of time! Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove The next day was a big one, we explored Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. If I did it again I would make sure to spend a whole day at Cathedral Cove. Being a true Kiwi, I walked down the steep track to the cove in bare feet carrying my 14 kg toddler in the carrier on the front and my backpack on the back. I ran into a couple on Cathedral Cove beach. I asked them to take photos of us. We got talking, they were so lovely and helped me carry the toddler and our stuff back up to the bus at the top of the very steep hill. One important thing to know about Cathedral Cove is you have to walk a lot more or take a bus from the car park in town. I was late finding somewhere to stay that night. I checked out the Campermate app and found some place to park up. To Auckland The next day was a beautiful one, we drove all the way up the coast admiring the amazing views. I was going to stop at a place just outside of Auckland where you can camp with self-contained or non-self-contained, the place is called Omana Clifftop Campground. When I arrived late in the day, I realised it was owned by Auckland Regional Council and you needed to book ahead and to get a key. I didn’t really know what to do because it was late, the toddler was tired out and we needed to stop for the night. At the carpark before the campground there was a freedom camping spot but only for self-contained vehicles. There was also a toilet at the carpark . So I decided to just risk it and stay the night. I felt soooo anxious about getting caught or getting into trouble over being somewhere I shouldn’t be. At around 9pm when the babe was fast asleep and I was up on my phone the security guy came around checking the car park. My heart was beating so fast and I felt like ohhh nooo im gonna get into trouble crap! He came over to my car and started writing down stuff on his phone. I got out of my car and said “hi” explaining that it got late, and I needed to stop for the night and apologised, asking if there was somewhere else I could park for the night. He was SO nice and told me I had to leave in the morning which I was happy to do of course, and let me stay the night because of the baby being fast asleep. It was such a tricky thing because I didn’t want to purposefully break any laws or rules, but it’s also dangerous to drive when fatigued and the next freedom camping spot was about half an hour away that I could find. That was quite a small but big adventure for us. We drove up to Auckland the next morning and stayed with friends exploring around Karekare and Piha. I’m not a big fan of big cities so I headed up to Whangarei heads. Whangarei You can camp at the carpark at Whangarei Heads without a self-contained vehicle so yay for us. We camped a night there and loved meeting another lovely older campervanning couple, a German guy who was camping out of his car too. I love meeting new people, especially travelers they are always so friendly. We went for a swim first thing in the morning. It was one of my favourite places in the north. On to Cape Reinga After Whangarei Heads we drove up to Paihia and stayed at the Top 10 Holiday Park which was a nice wee stop to recharge devices and do a load of cloth nappies. Then it was only a wee drive up to Cape Reinga. My goal. My dream. It felt surreal as I was driving up the last leg of the road. To the very end of New Zealand. Where the Maori believe the spirits of the dead travel on their journey to the afterlife, to leap off the headland and climb the roots of the 800-year-old pohutukawa tree and descend to the underworld to return to their traditional homeland of Hawaiki. We hung around the lighthouse for a while soaking up the surreal vibes. Eventually it was time to cruise, I found the Te Paki sand dunes and we spent the rest of the hot afternoon climbing to the top of the sand dunes and back down again, eventually the toddler got tired and requested we go back to the car. I went searching on the Campermate app for a place to crash the night. I found a DOC campground, Spirit Bay where we could camp for the night. It was FULL of campers, a long weekend I forgot about. We found a space though and parked for the night. We watched the sunset on the beach, I put the toddler to bed and jumped into the freezing cold showers that we were lucky to have at this campground. I collapsed into our car camper bed exhausted but feeling ecstatic that I had reached the Cape and survived camping with my toddler. The next day was beautiful and sunny (so blessed with good weather up in the Far North). I wanted to find 90 Mile Beach. Google maps, of course, lead me on a goose chase up a gravel road with no reception. My fuel tank was running low and I was getting stressed out. I got back onto the main road and found a fuel station to fuel up at (not many fuel stations up there so make sure if you’re going up far north to fuel up when you can). Driving back south I passed the sign for 90 Mile Beach and did a big face palm. I don’t know why on earth Google maps wouldn’t take me straight there. Oh well. 90 Mile Beach This was my favourite place I think in the north. I drove my Toyota Wish onto the sand dunes and had so much fun driving down the beach. (Definitely do not drive on the beach like me unless you’re in a four wheel drive.) I cooked up a feed of instant noodles then parked my car closer to water. That was a bit of a mistake because a wave came up and almost killed my car. I panicked and tried to drive it up the beach but it was bogged, I tried again slower and yes! It moved. Heart attack moment averted. I drove back up the beach and we had made some new friends near Cape Reinga so stayed there for a night. Next day we went to Rainbow Falls which was beautiful and crowded, long weekend vibes. Such an incredible waterfall to visit though, so highly recommend it. West coast We cut across from the east coast to the west coast and drove through the amazing kauri forest stopping in to visit big old Tane Mahuta. I found a camp for the night called Glinks Gully which was such a cool spot, no reception and right on the beach, low cost campground with hot showers available for a token and a kitchen area to use. We walked up a track to a gentle cliff overlooking the open ocean of the rugged west coast. We drove back to Auckland for a night and stayed with a new friend we made along the way. Only one night because we had booked for a Hobbiton tour, which is near Hamilton, for the next day. Hobbiton The Hobbiton tour is expensive but WELL WORTH IT. Two hour guided tour around the set, and then a stop at the wee pub for a complimentary pint afterwards. Hamilton, Kawhia We stayed in Hamilton for the night parked in someone’s driveway (they invited us to). Explored the Hamilton Gardens the next day and then drove down to Kawhia, Hot Water Beach was pretty cool. We turned up just after someone had left, so I soaked in the hot water while the toddler reminded me he wanted to go back to the car, and played in the sand. The Oparau Roadhouse hosts freedom campers so we stopped there for the night. The owners were so friendly and gave me lots of local tips and recommended we visit Marokopa Falls so we did the next day and it was amazing! Taranaki Next stop Taranaki. I had my best friend living in the Naki and we stayed with her for almost a week just recouping after a busy few weeks travelling. The mountain was amazing, we tried walking up the mountain but it was so cloudy we turned back. Then the sun came out and the clouds moved so we could see the peak. What a magnificent mountain. Southwards On to Palmerston North to stay with more good friends for a week. I quite liked Palmy. It was chilled and friendly. I had itchy feet though and didn’t wanna stay around for too long. We had our ferry booked so had to keep moving. Driving down the west coast of the north island now we stayed on Otaki beach where technically only self contained campers are allowed but according to locals everyone camps there anyways. I had my makeshift toilet to use anyways so it wasn’t a bother. We watched the sun set and just chilled out on the beach, I went for a quick swim the next morning. A local mum saw me share on my Instagram and invited me to her cafe for a chai which was so lovely. BY: Shoshanna Shand PHOTOS: ©2022 Shoshanna Shand Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 18

5 Spring 2023 5 Spring 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption pros-cons-4-F.webp pros-cons-6.webp We don’t see this adventure ending for many more years Pros and Cons of full time family travel Two Kids and a Caravan We get heaps of people message us and ask about the pros and cons of travelling full time so we thought we’d put pen to paper and share the highs and lows of full time travel with kids PROS : You get to spend a lot of time as a family CONS : You spend A LOT of time as a family Haha just kidding — sort of… Let’s start with the nitty gritty and look at the disadvantages Disadvantages of full time family travel Quality over quantity You really do spend a lot of time together and a lot more than “normal” so it’s easy to take that time for granted if everyone isn’t getting their own alone/1:1 time. Instead of looking forward to seeing each other at the end of the day, you’re in each other’s pockets all day and sometimes you can lose sight of the amazing opportunity you have to spend quality time together. It’s helpful to schedule alone time, couple time, family time and 1:1 time with the kids to make sure everyone’s cup is getting topped up. Team sports One thing we struggle with is the feeling that our kids “miss out” on being a part of a club/team and all the good things that come with that — despite popular belief it’s nothing to do with homeschooling and is a result of our transient lifestyle and not being in one place long enough to sign up for a term. When we are parked up for an extended time (e.g over winter) we always try to get the girls involved in some extra curricular activities. It gets dirty fast This one is both a pro and a con. You’ve really squeezed an entire house into 14m2 — it has a full kitchen, a bathroom, beds, windows, lounge, and since all your living happens in the same square inches, the mess is amplified — and fast. However, it’s equally fast to clean, there’s less surfaces to wipe and less floors to sweep, there’s just more crumbs on them. We always say it takes 5 minutes to mess it up but only 5 minutes to clean it up Lack of routine When your life isn’t prescribed for you (whether you have a job or business requiring you, or specific times to have kids ready and out of the house) it’s easy to dwindle the day away. A sleep in, a slow breakfast before deciding what to do for the day — we find we have some pretty “unproductive” seasons where we feel we should have done more with our time. Isn’t it interesting that the reason we started this journey was to get out of the busy, monotonous routine we were in, and now that we rule our own world we miss the routine? Mark finds it stressful when his life isn’t stressful enough. [Note from Kim: Do you know how stressful it is to experience a new supermarket layout every. single. time.] Maybe we just need to remind ourselves that rest is productive. Quality time is productive. Recovering from burnout is productive . Now for the best bits Freedom Freedom to travel, freedom from the shackles of everyday life and the freedom to be available and ABLE to take opportunities. All of our best experiences so far have been as a direct result of our ability to say “we’d love to” and having the flexibility to go on a whim, without the constraints of time and place. Healthier lifestyle We spend heaps of time out in nature and even all the extra chores like lugging water around, keep our bodies moving. On top of that, all the ridiculous new hobbies we take up, like hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and learning to sail as well as trying to buy produce at local farmers markets and side of the road stalls and we find ourselves living a generally healthier lifestyle overall. Lower cost of living We’re much more in control of our overheads and are able to lower them by travelling more slowly (reduced fuel costs), parking up in low cost spots (no rent), relying on solar for our electricity, catching fish (haha good one), and making the most of free entertainment (after the initial outlay costs of bikes/kayaks etc). This in turn allows us to work less if we want to, or decide (key word — decide) to do longer hours to save some funds for the next leg and/or park up at a campground with all the facilities. Living simply We’ve learnt first-hand the difference between what we think we need and what we actually need and while we live a pretty minimalist life in comparison to house life, we still never want for anything (if you know Kim, you’ll know she’s prepared for every situation, no matter how small). We’ve learnt to stretch food, conserve water, reduce rubbish, chase experiences not things, and ensure items in our caravan have multiple purposes. We’ve learnt to live simply and as a wise friend said “home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling” and we can take ourselves anywhere in the New Zealand and feel right at home. Making lifelong memories We’ve spent the last 937 days almost 24/7 as a family and wow have we had some experiences together. We’ve seen, experienced and achieved more in those days than we have in the rest of our lives and feel that if we died tomorrow we’d have few regrets as we’ve spent these years really LIVING. We’re creating lifelong memories with our kids which we hope will shape them in growing into adventurous, curious, resilient, resourceful and fulfilled adults. New connections We’ve met some amazing people along the journey that we never would have crossed paths with (or been in the right frame of mind or open to creating connections with), as well as over 1000 of you who follow along over our social media platforms and who we hope to meet some day. It’s a pretty special feeling to be able to travel anywhere in the country and have people to connect with and people we can’t wait to catch up with or meet. Having a kitchen and bathroom everywhere you go This one is a bit of a funny one but honestly, towing your home along behind you and being able to pull over to the side of the road and make a cup of tea or use the toilet, or come back from a hike or activity and jump in and whip up lunch is something we’re not sure we’ll ever be able to give up Obviously the positives well outweigh the negatives and our 2.5 year journey so far is testament to that. We don’t see this adventure ending for many more years. facebook.com/twokidsandacaravan Up Up 5 Spring 2023 , p 15