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

9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption ©2024 Camping the Kiwi Way ​ Camping the Kiwi Way, Spring 2024 Editor Featured Steampunk — from North to South and back again: "It's a chance to get dressed up andsome have fun page 5 The re-build of my Toyota van: I woke up to the smell of the sea and the sun rising. I was bitten by the lifestyle. Page 7 Towing your caravan — tips, tricks and weights: If you are new to towing it is not hard to master. Page 13 Buyer beware: The caravan was only 9 years old. We pawed over the photos, checked questions asked… Page 21 The making of the Black Moa™ A new cassette toilet for small spaces. Page 25 Government and councils: articles of interest Self containment: articles of interest About this issue Table of contents 2 Self-containment warrant cards: which ones are valid? 2 Freedom camping and self-containment: where are we at? 2 More for councils and government 3 Featured in the Spring issue 4 Editorial 5 Steampunk— from north to south and back again 7 The re-build of my Toyota van 8 The West Coast in winter 9 Solar basics for dummies 11 Converting your camper van: The Cruzar Campervan story 13 Towing your caravan — tips, tricks and weights 15 A night in an arboretum 16 Cautionary tyre tale 17 A winter day on Farewell Spit 19 On the shoulder of a god 19 It was freezing 20 Buying used caravans: What you need to look for 21 Buyer beware 22 HOBBIES Home roasted coffee beans 23 Developing an innovative camping toilet solution: Fix-a-Potty™ 24 Kiwi ingenuity & insults 24 Fix’n’Rail 25 A new cassette toilet for small spaces: The making of the BlackMOA™ 26 Challenges for local councils 27 North Island hot pool safari 30 RECIPES Making the most of your pressure cooker 31 RECIPES Girdle scones (aka griddle scones) 32 GAME DOC campsites 3: Central NI Fill in the spaces 33 The Aratiatia Dam 34 Stop and Stay City dwellers: your first camp away Stop and Stay 35 Stop and Stay Parua Bay 35 Stop and Stay Waikawa Bay 36 EVENTS Come camping 37 EVENTS Festivals 38 DOC update 39 Getting your camping vehicle certified 40 All Points Camping Club of NZ Self-containment & freedom camping 2 Self-containment warrant cards: which ones are valid? 2 Freedom camping and self-containment: where are we at? 23 Developing an innovative camping toilet solution: Fix-a-Potty™ 24 Kiwi ingenuity & insults 24 Fix’n’Rail 25 A new cassette toilet for small spaces: The making of the BlackMOA™ 26 Challenges for local councils Government and councils Articles of interest for those working in government and those in local and regional councils Self Containment and freedom camping 2 Self-containment warrant cards: which ones are valid? 2 Freedom camping and self-containment: where are we at? 23 Developing an innovative camping toilet solution: Fix-a-Potty™ 24 Kiwi ingenuity & insults 24 Fix’n’Rail 25 A new cassette toilet for small spaces: The making of the BlackMOA™ 26 Challenges for local councils Camping in action 7 The re-build of my Toyota van 8 The West Coast in winter 15 A night in an arboretum 27 North Island hot pool safari 33 The Aratiatia Dam About this issue ISSUE 9, SPRING 2024 ISSN: 2815-8261 (Print) | ISSN: 2815-827X (Online) ©2024 All Points Camping Club of NZ Inc Editor: Miriam Richardson | editor@campingthekiwiway.org PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY All Points Camping Club of NZ Inc & NZ Lifestyle Camping Ltd ORDER OR SUBSCRIBE Printed copies including postage: $44 for a year (4 issues) Subscribe $13.50 for a single copy Subscribe ADVERTISING For sizes and prices see ckw.nz/advertising | editor@campingthekiwiway.org Front cover: Steampunk, ©2024 Margaret Earle. More on p5 SHARE YOUR STORIES If your group or club is promoting NZers enjoying our great outdoors, we would like to share your stories. Tenting, caravanning, motorhoming, van camping, bike camping, hiking and more. Camping photos and stories. Club stories and photos. Upcoming events that include camping. Opinion pieces on camping issues. Photos 1mb or more in size. Email words and (separate) images: editor@campingthekiwiway.org CONTRIBUTIONS CLOSE Nov 1 for the Summer issue Feb 1 for the Autumn issue But , for late-breaking articles talk to the editor. Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 1

7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Right to the top of the headland then over to the petrified forest © 2024 Maurie Edwards The petrified forest If for no other reason, the petrified forest is a good enough reason to visit. © 2024 Maurie Edwards Campground © 2024 Maurie Edwards Despite the fekin Curio Bay sandflies bombers it’s a pretty good camp. We made it to Curio Bay Maurie Edwards Well we made it to Curio Bay on Monday afternoon, after an 8¾ hour drive. I did the Balclutha to Curio Bay run. Jeeze it’s like Gisborne to Tolaga Bay 5 times non stop. And the road’s crap as well. Lots of soft spots on the fog line where the seal has been squeezed out of the holes and looks like 9 or 10 inches from top to bottom. Then there’s the normal refills that aren’t working or didn’t work. I guess the message is, the roads around the country are generally not fit for purpose, so drive and be very wary — scan the road 30 or 40 meters ahead so you can mitigate the risks. I guess I’m lucky. I had good patient teachers in the military, on trucks with power steering by arm and shoulder movement only. Anyway, greeted by reception and allocated a site. We asked for as close to the amenities as possible as we are broken arses. No worries, got a great site. Hauled out our new air tent and with some glitches got set up in about an hour. Cook a feed, take meds, do washing up, tidy up and hit the sack. Day two, up at sparrow fart and do a recce, have breakfast then off exploring. Right to the top of the headland then over to the petrified forest. If for no other reason, the petrified forest is a good enough reason to visit. The sites are natural land and each site is surrounded by mature harakeke. The first sound you are greeted by is something that sounds like it’s a stuka of WW2 vintage. Then you start bleeding and realise its fekin Curio Bay sandflies. Despite the bombers it’s a pretty good camp. For a few nights or a day trip it’s a pretty cool place. n The Catlins, Southland, Photos © 2024 Maurie Edwards STATUS: Campground. Not affected by law changes. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 5

8 Winter 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Fire circle ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Fire circle ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Fire circle ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Fire circle ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Fire circle ©2024 Bette Cosgrove ​ Fire circle Bette Cosgrove Fire circle on a still Autumn night. Magical. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Up Up 8 Winter 2024 , p 9

5 Spring 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption tiny-pukaki-F.webp So incredibly gratefu The only ones at Lake Pukaki Lou Riches I can’t believe we are the only ones at Lake Pukaki tonight. So incredibly grateful to have captured these skies. ©2023 Lou Riches Up Up 5 Spring 2023 , p 10

1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption © Hilary Cowburn All is well and fun Our first night away in Scampi Hilary Cowburn Our first night away in Scampi. Apart from a rip in the brand new canvas, all is well and fun. At Camp Kekerengu. Hilary Cowburn. Photo ©2022 Hilary Cowburn Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 32

SPRING 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF INDEX READ Events PREVIOUS PREVIOUS NEXT FRI, 16 Sept: Onaero Onaero Bay Spring Club Camp North of Taranaki on the west coast, Onaero Bay Holiday Park is a great place for a Spring camp. RSVP. More: ckw.nz/onaero FRI, 30 Sept: Kaitoke Kaitoke All Points Camp (Upper Hutt) Join our Wellington area hosts for a relaxing scenic camp at Kaitoke Regional Park. All campers are welcome. Powered sites are limited (6). Note: Due to poison currently no dogs (subject to change). RSVP. More FRI, 11 Nov: Thames Thames Steampunk Camp A weekend camp at Thames South School for the Thames 2022 Circus Punk weekend. Come as you are or dress up for a fantastic weekend. Yes, you can bring your tent; bring the family. (See page 25.) More FRI, 02 Dec: Pāuatahanui Battle Hill (Wgtn) A Club camp — guests welcome but registrations required. Battle Hill is a historic site within a short distance of Porirua and nestled under Transmission Gully. Feed the eels, enjoy a farmland nature walk. Campfires yes but dogs no as its a working farm. Families with tents welcome. More : ckw.nz/battle-hill THU, 29 Dec: Reporoa New Year Camp Taupo — All Points Camping Club 7th Birthday Let’s make it an extra special Happy New Year camp. It’s our club’s 7th Birthday and we are just itching to have fun. Club members and guests are welcome to join us. Please register. More : ckw.nz/new-year 2023 MAR 17 – 19 2023: CAMP FEST Bulls Domain, Rangitikei A weekend of camping, craft and trade stalls, workshops and entertainment. Tents, campervans, caravans, trailer campers, housetrucks and more. More: route54.org/campfest | fun@route54.org MAR 31 2023: Kimbolton Camping 2023 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival Join us for an amazing weekend camping at the Kimbolton Sculpture Festival. The Festival day is Saturday 1 April. All campers — tents, trailer campers, teardrops, caravans, motorhomes welcome. (See page 30.) More: All Points Camping | Festival LIST YOUR EVENT? Any event with a camping component can list here free. Country fairs, music festivals &c, if they cater for campers. Photos 1mb minimum. Get the details in by 1 NOV for the Summer/December issue. ​ NEXT The Ad ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 1 editor@campingthekiwiway.org

SPRING 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF INDEX READ A Trifecta in Hauraki: The Maritime Museum, Rays Rest & Steampunk The Thames PREVIOUS PREVIOUS NEXT We always enjoy our trips to Thames and often stay at the Miranda Holiday Park for a day or two beforehand. This time, however, we spent the Monday night at The Maritime Museum at Paeroa and freedom camped at Ray’s Rest (Kaiaua) the next night. The Maritime Museum is just a few kilometres out of Paeroa, heading west and well worth a stop. Run by trustees and volunteers there has been a considerable amount of time and money put into developing the facilities. The museum is full of interesting memorabilia and volunteers have a wealth of knowledge on the early history of the district. The volunteers operate daily boat trips from the park and the trustees are developing the venue for summer concerts. This is most definitely one venue worth stopping at and for overnight camping, with on-site toilets and optional power available for a small charge. Traveling on from the museum to Rays Rest is an easy 35-minute drive and we arrived there just after midday. At the southern end of the Firth of Thames inlet, this area is rather exposed but a very picturesque location. The expansive views, sheer quantity and depth of deposited shells and variety of birdlife are serene and peaceful making it hard to leave. Just down from Ray’s rest is the Pūkorokoro Shorebird Centre at Miranda. This is another worthwhile stop if you are in the area, that also provides overnight accommodation. With the 2020 Steampunk event cancelled due to the pandemic, the event was rescheduled for the school holidays and the new ANZAC weekend. We made this a combined event between All Points Camping, the Bay of Plenty Caravan Club, and the South Auckland Caravan Club. Being in the first week of the school holidays we we able to camp at the Thames South School from Wednesday to Sunday. Over the 5 days, we had in excess of 35 groups join us for Steampunk fun. The Thames community went all out for the weekend events and the Saturday parade was, as always, a lot of fun. A final highlight for Bev and I on this trip was doing the tour of the Thames Goldmine which included going into the mine and seeing the amazing ‘stampers’’ and other machinery in operation. For us, it was a fantastic time away. There is something special about the history of the Thames and Coromandel area and still so much more to explore. BY: Gary Stoneley Photos: ©2022 Gary Stoneley, Miriam Richardson, The Maritime Musem, Steampunk the Thames and Thames Goldmine. 11–13 Nov 2022, Thames All Points Camping are hosting a camp for the weekend . RSVP Circuspunk 2022 A fantastic time away NEXT The Ad ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 1 editor@campingthekiwiway.org

SPRING 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF INDEX READ Te Rātā Bay, Lake Tarawera PREVIOUS PREVIOUS NEXT We started our trip leaving Wellington at 4am sharp. The journey was great, avoiding all holiday traffic, and we made short work of the 5-hour drive towing our jetski up to Lake Tarawera. We transferred our camping gear into our ski and welcomed our friends from South Africa who joined us for Easter as we helped get everyone on the water safely. What we could not fit on the skis we had the local water taxi service bring over to our camping spot. This is a well-run service, and their friendly helpful approach makes it fun. We left the ramp at 11am and had flat water all the way, arriving to the beauty that is Te Rātā Bay (Hot Water Beach). We were the 1st to be at the DOC-run campground and had our tent and site set up within about an hour. The facilities are great there with toilets and a kitchen area to use if needed. Planning is essential as there is no fresh running water there so you do need to take everything with you. We spent the day watching families arrive and set up. We went on walks and explored the area around the camp, which is full of walking tracks. We planned our evening meals to be cooked in the ground and loved putting them in each morning and were amazed by how great they were in the evenings. The best part was the no-stress cooking approach. Our trip was full of swimming in the thermal-warmed water around the lake, jetskiing, exploring, meeting fellow family campers, fishing, diving, hiking, watching sunsets and relaxing in the great outdoors. We highly recommend this as a spot to visit — its affordable and jam-packed with things to do. It’s an annual destination for our family now. BY: Jono Collins PHOTOS: ©2022 Jono Collins DOC info We planned our evening meals to be cooked in the ground NEXT The Ad ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 1 editor@campingthekiwiway.org

SPRING 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF INDEX READ Just a little R&R PREVIOUS PREVIOUS NEXT Just a little R&R at Orton Bradley Park. Great weather. Who would have thought I would need my sun hat this time of year? Not a breath of wind; 20 degrees. Orton Bradley Park is a great place. Autumn. Canterbury. Gary HItchock. Photos ©2022 Gary Hitchcock ​ NEXT The Ad ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 1 editor@campingthekiwiway.org

9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Then our nightmare started. Buyer beware Anonymous I have chronic persisting back pain. I cannot last more than about 5 minutes doing any chores before pain sends me to a chair. Sometimes I can do the supermarket run easily, other times it’s agony. When we go camping I can only sit and watch others go exploring when really I would prefer to join them. It is another form of a horrible cruel, disability. Buying the caravan meant we could travel with my mobility scooter inside the caravan. This meant not only could I get involved on walks with our camping group, it also meant we didn’t need to sell our car to buy a van which would have meant that I couldn’t take our young granddaughters camping with us. I know the caravan is classed as a toy hauler, but we didn’t want to use it for toys, rather as a means to improve my life. The caravan was only 9 years old. We pawed over the photos, checked questions asked, relieved to read it was water tight when asked about leaks and damages. Measurements seemed to work for holding my scooter. It had an awning which we could use to store the scooter in at night which meant we could access the bathroom area at night. So we made a phone call to the owner to discuss it further. I asked, if they kept it, what would they do to improve it. They said nothing needed doing. We asked if they could hold it for us until the following weekend however they were not keen. We were going away south that weekend and they were going away for a week. We were concerned someone local to them would look at it before we got to view. it So after considering all the information we had, and as they had answered everything in a positive manner, we chose to trust them and made an offer which was accepted. We pressed Buy Now. Vintage Wagon at a Whanganui Vintage weekend 2024. ©2024 Margaret Earle Why we didn’t do an inspection at pickup The few days before we went to collect the caravan, hubby was recovering from having put his back out. We almost cancelled the drive to collect it. We travelled the day prior to the pick up so as to break our trip. On the day we collected it, rain was coming in waves. We could only carefully follow them around the caravan as they showed us how things worked. Hubby asked if the roof was in good condition . He said yes and offered us to go up on a balcony to look, but we chose to trust him as it was a sloped section and we couldn’t afford either of us to upset our backs. I did attempt to walk up a small sloped driveway to see what I could, but it was not high enough. So, we were pleased he confirmed it was in good nick. After sheltering from a rain shower in their garage, we loaded and left. Then our nightmare started. Big leak We stayed at a riverside camp on the way home because hubby was struggling with his back. We decided to leave the caravan attached to the car, even though it meant the back of the caravan was higher than the front. It was only for one night. It poured with yet another rain shower. Then I glanced up and noticed a line of water about 10 cm wide, flowing past the shower door, past the hand basin area, reaching the toilet door. Approx a metre long. It was no small trickle. I wish we had taken a photo before we grabbed a towel to mop it up. On closer inspection, the outer corner of the caravan was soft and full of water. I had noticed a smell when we first entered the caravan, but I thought it was because the caravan had been shut up and needed a good clean and airing. We, fortunately, are not used to musty smells. We are now! The awning was stored in that part of the caravan which will be why we didn’t notice that damp corner. First thing Monday, I called a local specialist and booked it to be looked at. We had to wait til the end of the week. I burst into tears when they told us what they found. The roof was soft and is probably the main cause of water down the sides of the caravan. There were signs of repairs in many places. It has had ongoing prolonged water ingress. It will need stripping before they can see the extent of damage done. We were guttered. They took 39 photos. We also discovered earlier in the week that the awning was not the right style for the caravan either. The awning had rounded corners, (and two big rips), whereas the caravan had square corners. I contacted a firm that dealt with this style of caravan and they said the manufacturer did not recommend using this style of awning but a “pull out” model only. Warning At the time of writing this, the caravan still sits empty, untouched in our back yard. We are in discussions with our lawyer. Victims don’t seem to have many rights these days. There is lots of protection for the seller though. Good and bad ones. So, do get your vehicle checked so no one can pull the wool over your eyes. More On investigation we discovered that not many firms want to do a pre-purchase inspection anymore. If anything is missed or not able to be seen (come on, they can’t take it all apart!), the firm takes the hit — purchasers try to make it a financial one to avoid having to pay for it themselves. So I guess we can’t blame them for not wanting to do inspections. I heard this from a number of firms I contacted. Google ‘caravan pre-purchase inspection’ for someone near the seller. The best advice I was given was don’t buy it before seeing it. If the owner won’t hold it— there could be a reason… ◼️ The writer has chosen to be anonymous. See page 20 What you need to look for… for a checklist from Collyn Rivers. Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 21

7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Fortrose Photos ©2024 Sheryl Moffat Fortrose Photos ©2024 Sheryl Moffat Fortrose Photos ©2024 Sheryl Moffat Fortrose Photos ©2024 Sheryl Moffat ​ Peaceful Fortrose Sheryl Moffat A beautiful peaceful place, Fortrose, in The Catlins, Southland. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 9