11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Waihora, New Year: Ray gave us a lesson on his new water bladder and water pump, which runs off his cordless drill. Interesting and tempting to purchase! ©Linda Butler Waihora, New Year: Ray gave us a lesson on his new water bladder and water pump, which runs off his cordless drill. Interesting and tempting to purchase! ©Linda Butler tempting! Interesting and tempting to purchase! Linda Butler Waihora, New Year: Ray gave us a lesson on his new water bladder and water pump, which runs off his cordless drill. Interesting and tempting to purchase! More ©2025 Linda Butler. Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 7

9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Freedom camping at Bendigo, Lake Dunstan, Otago ©2024 Andrew Morton Where are we at? Freedom camping and self-containment Miriam Richardson At the government level The government has changed the regulations so that venting of toilet cassettes is no longer required. The Minister has so far not responded to submissions to extend the end of the transition period beyond June 2025, though the pressure to do so continues. There is still insufficient inspection capacity for currently self-contained vehicles to transition to a new green warrant by then. (All blue warrants become invalid for freedom camping at the end of the transition period; all freedom campers must have a green warrant at that point, currently Jun ’25.) At the council level Just over half of all councils have a current freedom camping bylaw. Councils are required to revise exisiting bylaws by June 2025. Many seem unaware of the need, urgency, or complexity of complying with the new law. As tourist numbers increase over summer, those without current bylaws will not be able to enforce many of the new freedom camping laws.There will likely be a rush to write and implement new bylaws — though rushing is not possible if they are to be done appropriately ( see p26 ). Make sure to have your say when your council asks. Councils are beginning to decide how to determine homelessness, which is not, by definition, ‘freedom camping’. The legislation doesn’t help them with this. Some councils use the lack of a self-containment warrant as proof of homelessness! At the certification level Training of inspectors continues with both NZ Lifestyle Camping and the NZMCA, the two biggest Certifying Authorities (CA). NZMCA is to begin issuing green warrants in October. There are still not enough inspectors to get everyone certified by June ’25. The PGDB, which oversees Certification Authorities, is beginning the process of working out how to do it. If you don’t want to freedom camp, you can prove your self-containment with an orange (NZ Lifestyle Camping) or yellow (NZMCA) warrant; or you can still get and use the old blue warrants, for a time at least. You only have to pay the $120 PGDB freedom camping levy for the green warrant. There are quite a few small CAs, and the problems of differing judgments on what is required for a green warrant is beginning to cloud the horizon. How inconsistencies get managed/resolved is an unknown. We campers Many people have gone ahead to get a green warrant, and can now “carry on camping”. Some renewed their blue warrant in time to maximise their transition time. Others were unaware of the blue warrant timetable and find themselves blocked from freedom camping until they upgrade to a green warrant. See above for which warrants are valid for what. if you need a warrant see p39 . There are new, smaller toilets and some brackets addressing the fixed-toilet requirement, with a range of prices, which is a relief to the many who are in the process of making or modifying their vehicles for freedom camping. (See pages 23 , 24 , 25 ). The lack of clarity or consistency across the country is going to be an ongoing challenge for those of us freedom camping. ◼️ Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 2

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Bette's family camping back then. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Bette's family camping now ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Family camping… part of my DNA Bette Cosgrove Family camping… part of my DNA for 60 years. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 13

4 Winter 2023 4 Winter 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption No summer bugs
, no too-hot nights: winter van life can be magnificent. Winter’s here… Bette Cosgrove Some of our most glorious times camping or doing road trips have been in the winter season when you can often have camp spots to yourselves, roads are less busy, and nature's elements bring both challenges and a deeper colour and beauty to the places you camp. Even tent camping, with the right set up, can be a richer and more interesting experience in the colder months when some sites are more likely to allow cosy open fires and there are no summer bugs or overly hot nights to disturb your sleep. We all know that sitting around a campfire under the stars can be a truly magical experience. How do you make winter camping more comfortable? Here’s a few favourite tips and tricks for keeping warm, dealing with cold, wind, rainy days, and embracing the colder months outdoors for enjoyable winter camping trips. It just takes a little extra preparation and the right gear. Heating ✤ On really cold nights the secret is to get nice and warm just before getting into bed. ✤ In a vehicle, you can run your engine and turn the vehicle heater on with all your thermal curtains up — about ten minutes will make your whole vehicle toasty. ✤ A diesel heater is great and so efficient you may only need it on for ten minutes to get hot. Either install one with its own separate small tank or you may be able to connect to your vehicle’s supply if you run off diesel. ✤ There are great new tent heaters on the market now that run off cassette gas bottles and pump warm air into the tent if you're under canvas. Insulation ✤ Put up front window screen thermal shade as early as possible; a lot of heat is lost here. ✤ Get large silver bubble thermal shades at any auto supplier or hardware store.Make thermal fitted shades to fit the shapes of all windows using silver foil shades and a layer of thermal drape. ✤ Line the inside of your windows with bubble wrap as an inexpensive option. ✤ Put up thermal drape curtains. Recycled curtains from op shops are great to make these. Condensation is NOT your friend ✤ Remember to towel dry the window condensation that builds up in the morning. Put this towel over your dashboard to dry when travelling in the day with a window cracked open, or dry it outside (you don’t want that moisture back inside). ✤ Get windows open in the day to dry everything out. ✤ Buy a couple of containers of DAMPRID from a hardware store and have it out at all times to soak up moisture. ✤ Don’t let wet clothing sit around in your vehicle or tent, creating moisture for condensation — find a local laundrette for fast efficient washing and drying of large loads. Being warm in bed is essential ✤ Go to an op shop and find an old pure wool blanket to put under your mattress (never mind if it has stains or some holes) and a large polar fleece blanket over-layer that tucks down all sides. Find these too in charity stores or at The Warehouse. ✤ A quality sleeping bag or a feather duvet will keep your heat in the bed. ✤ There are 12v electric blankets if you have access to power. ✤ Wear quality socks and a wool hat to bed. Find these too at second hand stores if you’re on a budget. A light merino cap is super-warm to sleep in. Or drape a wide polar fleece scarf/shawl over your head and shoulders at night. ✤ Boiling up water for a hot water bottle at night (at least 1 hottie for each person) is all you need to stay toasty in a quality sleeping bag or under a feather duvet. You can recycle hottie bottle water into tomorrow night’s hottie boil up. Keep a lid on, and the steam in, while boiling. ✤ Get a wee fluffy doggo to cuddle up to. Hot water ✤ You might like to boil up water for a thermos so you can have a hot drink first thing in the morning without having to wait in the cold for a kettle to boil. ✤ Hot thermos water might be needed to unfreeze pipes or door latches in the morning. Keep yourself warm and dry ✤ Thermal and light, natural fibre and merino layers do the trick for pyjamas; leggings and tops are perfect under your clothes during the day too. ✤ There’s usually no bad weather for camping, just poor clothing — layer up with natural fibres and get a great waterproof and windproof coat and good warm socks and gloves with the iconic gumboots. Even these are often found at opshops, if you're on a budget. Sitting around a campfire under the stars is a truly magical experience. Photo ©2023 Jono Collins Best winter activities ✤ Get rugged up and bush walk… it’s usually a very sheltered place to enjoy. ✤ Jump in an icy river, lake or beach for some cold water therapy! The best! ✤ Enjoy a good hot pancake brekky, and of course any excuse for hot chocolate making and marshmallow toasting over a fire. ✤ Star gazing, with a telescope or not, is always a favourite on long, clear winters’ nights so grab an astronomy chart or load them on your mobile device and identify the constellations. ✤ Visit small towns with great cafés, libraries and book stores. Rainy day activities ✤ Indoor games, charades, good books, puzzle books and if you have WiFi, podcasts or a movie on the tablet can fill the time on a bad weather day. Download some in advance for the trip. ✤ The ‘Getting Lost’ games — online purchased travel cards are an awesome activity if you're on the road. ✤ Take the opportunity to go to a small town cinema and enjoy a ‘big’ screen movie on a wet day. Extreme weather — keep an eye on it ✤ Choose your time to pack up and move if serious weather is on its way. ✤ Give yourself time to get ahead of it. ✤ In extreme wind take care not to camp under trees where branches might fall. ✤ Tents need serious pegs to hold them to the ground in winter wind conditions. Buy screw pegs or use tri-sided pegs especially in wet ground. See Strong pegs . ✤ Tip for parking when it might snow: lift your wipers away from the windscreen so any snow weight doesn’t damage them and so the blades don’t stick to the glass. Winter travel preparation ✤ Mind the maintenance: do a good vehicle service before a winter trip. ✤ Top up your fuel tanks regularly — you never know if you’ll get stranded. ✤ If there might be snow, make sure you have chains (and practice how to put them on before the trip). ✤ An extra groundsheet under your tent floor definitely helps with dampness. ✤ Take extra tarpaulins. ✤ Pack extra emergency food (freeze dried or Meals Ready to Eat (MRE)-style). It’s all in the preparation No matter what time of year, the benefits of being outdoors are going to improve your well-being and provide a very special camping experience. So be prepared and focus on taking the right gear with you, so that you can happily meet the challenges of the colder months and carry on camping. Up Up 4 Winter 2023 , p 12

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Dogs at Knottingley ©2024 Linda Butler Making new friends at camp is fun! The dogs had visitors Linda Butler The dogs had visitors at Knottingly Park and Arboretum camp. Making new friends at camp is fun! All Points Camping at Knottingly Park, Waimate, January. ©2024 Linda Butler Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 5

11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Roland at Campfest ©2025 Jo Ward Made it to Campfest Jo Ward Roland made it to Campfest, Bulls, March.©2025 Jo Ward. Campfest Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 19

9 Spring 2024 Spring 2024 ISSUE 9 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Fix’n’Rail Lets you slide a portable toilet in and out of its storage area, or, if you don’t need it to slide, fix it in place Fix’n’Rail Mystenterprise Due out late October, the Fix’n’Rail is a heavy duty sliding rail and secure bracket that lets you slide a portable toilet in and out of its storage area, or, if you don’t need it to slide, fix it in place. They say the bracket allows the holding tank to be removed for emptying and it can be adjusted for different sized toilets. ◼️ From mystenterprise: ckw.nz/fix-n-rail Images: mystenterprise.com Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 24

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Fishing in the snow Shellie Evans Fishing in the snow. Ohau B canal. Spring. ©2024 Shellie Evans Photography ckw.nz/shellie-fb Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 17

10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption the road less travelled, down double-digit highways STOP and STAY Double-digit highways Bette Cosgrove & Miriam Richardson SH32/41, SH45, SH60: Do you know them? SH32 winds alongside the mighty Waikato and follows the western and southern shores of Lake Taupo. SH45, The Surf Coast Highway, skirts the sea around Mt Taranaki. SH60, Around coastal Tasman and on on to Golden Bay. SH 32/41, West of Lake Taupo. Jones Landing. (Click for SH32/41) SH 45, The Surf Highway. (Click for SH45) SH60 to Collingwood. Kina Beach. (Click for SH60) Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 5

6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Mavis mavis_20231020_164738_th.webp Mavis ceiling and curtains Mavis diesel heating mavis external diesel heater Mavis internal solar Mavis external solar Mavis battery cooling Mavis at Mangawhai Mavis chooks Mavis chooks Mavis flamingos Mavis flamingos Mavis flamingos mavis_20231020_164738_mw.webp Mavis sink Mavis and all her DIY Cheine Matheson It all started with needing a new roof hatch… well not exactly needing , but more a case of wanting . Out with the old and in with the new. Ceiling and curtains The problem now was that the shiny new hatch far exceeds the old worn ceiling; new plywood with a fancy grey paint-wash finish added to the list, and while I’m at it, I thought I might as well throw some left-over ceiling insulation in there too. House skirting boards were the perfect size and shape for ceiling scotia and made excellent curtain track mounts. Curtains were a must, so some home-made block-outs were made to fit perfectly around the whole inside. Here’s a brilliant idea… while everything is stripped apart, why not… This started what is known as “the slippery slope” or “the worm hole.” Here’s a brilliant idea… while everything is stripped apart why not add a “little bit” of solar power… so in went a few ceiling lights while telling myself I will not add too many things. Solar power — internal Burnsco and Jaycar… these are the only 2 shops you need, and they have a loyalty program so the more you spend the more “essential treats” you can get. Burnsco supplied me with the “100Watt solar package” which was so incredibly easy to install with a120Ah battery, 20amp controller and a 100Watt panel. Naturally I had to add a bluetooth module to the package so I could monitor everything without having to get out of the camp chair. Jaycar supplied me with all the wiring, switches, lights and accessories. There are usb ports and 12v cigarette sockets dotted around the inside plus an outdoor heavy duty power source. Everything is on separate, fused, master switches located in the “old fridge cupboard.” For extra “treats” I purchased a 300W inverter that I use for the portable broadband and sky decoder on those rainy days. Solar power — external After a few camping trips during the cloudy season I decided to upgrade the original 100W solar panel to a 200W panel. Now I have a 100W panel spare … and Mitre10 has a huge sale on tool boxes! I’m about quarter of the way down the worm hole now, but in my defence, it’s always good to have a back-up power supply… Right??? A very, very simple set-up, that is just a waterproof solar module to charge the battery from the original 100watt panel and a set of 12v accessory power supplies. The only downside to the solar module is you cannot see how much charge your battery has, however a green light comes on when at full capacity. Battery cooling With summer approaching I was a little bit worried about the heat affecting my batteries, so a quick shop on GrabOne found me a “Chicken Hut” cooling fan set-up, no power supply needed, a small solar panel powers the 2 fans when in sunlight so one fan went in the tool box and another in the inside set-up… works perfectly maintaining a steady airflow drawing air from under the caravan. Diesel heating Best thing I ever bought … don’t skimp on the heat output. I chose a portable 8kw unit that was also on GrabOne for only $200. I have run it all winter and never had a problem with it, the only thing I added was a fuel filter and upgraded the air filter. People say you only need 2kw however I have seen others have to run at full heat just to get a toasty room. With 8kw I only ever run it on absolute low. My theory is with the 8kw you use less diesel and power only having to run it on low. Over an 8 hour period I use 2.5 litres of fuel and about 10% of my 120Ah battery. Super quiet compared to a 2kw screaming its head off. The benefit of a portable unit is that come summer time I don’t need it, so save valuable storage space. The heat output duct is on a swivel inside so you can have it pointing straight out the door if the awning is set up and it warms the entire area within minutes. Sink The original sink was one of the first things to go, too small and very used looking. Top tip for searching caravan parts… search for boat parts instead. They are smaller and lighter… and for some reason cheaper. Easy quick install with a boat tap also. A 9 litre a minute electric pump, fitted alongside the water tank, feeds ample amounts of water via the waterproof push button switch. The tap has a separate on/off toggle on it that I turn off while travelling to eliminate any water dribbling through. Burnsco supplied all this and they have a huge selection to choose from. Maintenance Winter saw a lot of preventative maintenance, new tyres were fitted with the rims getting sand blasted and repainted at the same time. The chassis was already in great condition so I went over it again with a wire brush and repainted it with PA10 rust proofing paint just to make it really shine. Dwights waterproofing was applied to all the canvas — I was a little disappointed that it didn’t make the water bead off and thought I had wasted my money on it however it gives you that wet look when raining but dries almost instantly. It pays to waterproof both sides as per instructions too… only doing one side doesn’t achieve much. Future ideas Not a lot of other things to do at this stage, I am currently making a bracket to attach to the drawbar in front of the tool box that will hold a cantilever umbrella instead of having to put up extra poles and shade sails. Originally was toying with the idea of self-containment but I cant justify it as I prefer to frequent campgrounds and the free overnight camping areas that have the facilities for you. All the plumbing work I have done is up to self-containment spec though, in case one day I decide to go for it. Labour weekend at Mangawhai Four poptoppers in attendance at the Labour weekend gathering. All very different set-ups, a great group of people and lots of stories and ideas floating around. Much like myself, everyone had their own special touches on their poptops that made them their own. Only 2 of us brought garden ornaments and started competing. Unfortunately the Flamingos took out my Chickens — I was too under-prepared for someone just as competitive as myself! (It’s the next get together that I’m looking forward to — already I have purchased more, haha!) Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 6

7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Game solution Word search solution Rhonda Marshall Download a pdf of the solution Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 46

11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Whisky Gully, Tapanui, Southland. Lovely views over the plains, and a great walk up the valley, and another through the bush. ©2025 M RIchardson Looking down on the park at the end of the road. Whisky Gully, Tapanui, Southland. ©2025 M RIchardson Lovely views over the plains Whisky Gully, Tapanui, Southland. ©2025 M RIchardson Whisky Gully M Richardson Whisky Gully, Tapanui, Southland. Lovely views over the plains, and a great walk up the valley, and another through the bush. Toilets. Some flat areas to park. You must be certified self-contained. ©2023 M Richardson Looking back down at the camping area. Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 11