4 Winter 2023 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up I did it! Donna Millar Up My very first solo camping and tramping trip! Two epic days in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Camped at Whitehorse Hill DOC campground. It was packed, with lots of friendly people. I adopted a lovely UK couple of retired teachers for the night, and camped beside them. Met lots of lovely people. Clocked up 20km of hikes including Sealy Tarns track (2,200 stairs!). Incredible clear night skies and the sound of several morepork— the best way to fall asleep in your tent. I was very grateful for my -5°C sleeping bag! I can’t wait for my next solo adventure —it’s so liberating. Click on the gallery to see the full size slideshow . Photos ©2023 Donna Millar Up Up Two epic days in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. ©2023 Donna Millar ©2023 Donna Millar ©2023 Donna Millar ©2023 Donna Millar 1/13 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) editor@campingthekiwiway.org

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Te Rātā Bay, Lake Tarawera ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Te Rātā Bay, Lake Tarawera ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Preparing to cook in the ground We planned our evening meals to be cooked in the ground and loved putting them in each morning. ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Cooking in the ground The best part was the no-stress cooking approach. ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Just a little longer We were amazed by how great they were in the evenings. ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Carrying the food back to camp ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures The camp Te Rātā Bay, Lake Tarawera ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures tarawera_4416.jpg We spent the day watching families arrive and set up. ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures Te Rātā Bay, Lake Tarawera Jetskiiing ©2022 NZ Fun Adventures We planned our evening meals to be cooked in the ground Te Rātā Bay, Lake Tarawera Jonathan Collins 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](/doc-pass) Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 7

6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption game-word-search-summer-23.webp Word search: Tent camping Rhonda Marshall Here’s a word search relating to camping in a tent. Any words that have 3 parts such as “sun screen lotion” is written as 1 word in the grid. So you would look for sunscreenlotion. Words may be placed forward, backwards, diagonally, horizontally and vertically. Once you have found all your search words there are 20 letters left over. Working from top- to-bottom and left-to-right, record the letters in sequence to work out the 4 word secret message. Have fun! Airbed Bag Blankets Book Bowl Chilly bin Clothes pegs Coffee Cooker Cup Detergent Fly screen Fork Ground sheet Guy rope Insect repellant Lantern Light Pan Poles Pot Shoe Sleeping bag Stretcher Sun screen lotion Tea Tea towel Tent pegs Torch Towel Washing up bowl Water bottle Zips Download the page to print: game-Word-search-6_Summer .pdf Download PDF • 458KB View solution or download the solution to print: game-Word-search-solution-6_Summer .pdf Download PDF • 50KB Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 32

7 Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024 ISSUE 7 BUY PDF CONTENTS 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 GO TO Celebrating Summer Free camping with a non-fixed toilet. Impossible after law changes. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 13 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 4 editor@campingthekiwiway.org

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Lorraine Middleton Lorraine Middleton It all happened quickly and all I can say is thank goodness for roadside assistance… Cautionary tyre tale Lorraine Middleton I own a 1960 Pop Top, these tyres looked to be in good condition, no cracks etc, passed WOF at VTNZ no problem. Passing over a bit of road where the rumble strip had been removed but not filled in, my tyre got stuck in the rut and shredded. I had been warned about this bit of road but the rut had to be passed over. It all happened quite quickly and all I can say is thank goodness for roadside assistance as my son didn’t think it was safe to use the car jack on the poptop. I have since learnt from my tyre man: That tyres should be under 15 years of age and should have a date printed on them or you can google the serial number. (if you can’t find any information on the age of your tyres they are probably too old and only suitable as a spare). Tyres with tubes can pop and deflate quicker than modern tubeless tyres. Nitrogen in tyres helps stop them overheating and are less likely to have slow leaks (the gas is denser than air). I ended up replacing tyres and rims as it wasn’t that much more expensive than buying just tyres and tubes for the old rims. They are ones made for large jetski trailer and work well and don’t look out of place and we did have a nice roadside picnic while waiting for the AA. ◼️ Editor: My tyre man offers a more conservative story. Seven years max (or 70,000km). If you remove the tyre from the rim and inspect the insides, you can discover if it can go on longer, he told me. Collyn Rivers on p20 suggests 7–10 years. Photos: ©2024 Lorraine Middleton Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 16

11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption A good feed ©2025 Mart Ireland 2018 Dec, Golden Bay (13) snapper catch ©2025 Mart Ireland ©2025 Mart Ireland Channel entrance catch ©2025 Mart Ireland Fish & scallops Waitangi 2013 ©2025 Mart Ireland A good feed ©2025 Mart Ireland you can’t put a price on a good day on the water with family or friends Hobby: Fishing and Diving Marty Ireland My introduction to fishing as a child: I recall being taken to the Waimakariri river and using a string hand-line with red meat as bait, I don’t recall any success . However we did have whitebait and flounder on our menu so I assume this was purchased or obtained from family or friends. Later as a young teen I was introduced to lure spinning rod fishing in Marlborough rivers for trout and kahawai with some successes. While living in Southland for 6yrs we went on 2 fishing trips out of Bluff with a good cod catch, again, using hand-lines and sea sickness as a result. Then in my late 30s, back in Marlborough, I was introduced to snorkelling along the Kaikōura Coast, for paua, kina and crayfish which lead to doing a scuba course with Scuba Schools International and my hobby became serious. A secondhand 16ft runabout was bought in partnership with 2 friends and regular trips in the Marlborough Sounds especially to Tory channel entrance ensued. The cost to fish, either from shore or by boat, can be a wide gulf depending on your desire, but can be economic if you purchase secondhand and build up your gear as you go, and if done with a group then items can be shared, repaired, bought and sold , and experience shared and taught. One of my best buys was 2 pink Shimano boat rods on special at Hunting and Fishing for $69 each — they catch fish, much more so, to the disgust of other fishers, with considerably more expensive rods. After nearly 30 years and over 550 dives logged, jumping over the side of a perfectly good boat that’s not sinking, taking a catch bag and spear gun, we have enjoyed and shared local tasty seafood treats with many family members and visitors. The sea sickness is now few and far between but can and does still happen occasionally. Scuba diving has also included diving some local and international wrecks as well as coral reefs and shark viewing, looking but not taking is strange as a hunter gatherer, but rewarding in a different way. We have been fortunate to arrange permit dives for 3 weddings and some funerals along with other family gatherings and certainly have had our share from the ocean. Would it be cheaper to buy the fish? Possibly but you can’t put a price on a good day on the water with family or friends, and knowing where it was sourced and how fresh it is. Preparing and cooking the catch, well, that’s another thread and topic for a future magazine. n you can’t put a price on a good day on the water with family or friends Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 32

Winter 2025 ISSUE 12 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption now_H_20250430_151535.webp GO TO CHILLY CHILLY CHILLY OUT THERE Bigger batteries are no use without the means to charge them Now we have the power to go off-grid Graham Leslie We bought a modern lightweight English caravan a couple of years ago. It was set up for comfortable off-grid camping. We can run most of the caravan on gas ie., the fridge, cooking, water heating and central heating. We found the limiting factor was 12-volt battery power. Why we wanted more power Being a modern caravan, it is well insulated and has its own bathroom so we want to extend our camping season out of summer into winter. Winter camping for us means longer time with the lights on at night, using the shower rather going for a swim, watching TV in a warm caravan rather than going on an evening walk. We have also found we are taking more electronic devices and these are using more power than before. We also need more power for our caravan’s facilities, for instance, the gas central heating has an electric fan and there is an electric pump to get water to the shower or sink. We needed more battery storage Our goal was to increase our battery capacity to store more power. We opted to go with lithium batteries. These offer two major advantages to us. They are about a third the weight of, and provide about double the usable power of, similar lead-acid batteries. We opted for two 100 Amp hour LiFePO4 batteries to replace our old single 100 Amp hour AGM lead-acid battery. This should give us four times the power storage at two thirds the weight of what we had before. They should also have about double the life span of a lead-acid battery. LiFePO4 batteries are a type of lithium battery commonly used in deep cycle applications. Unlike lead-acid batteries they have smart electronics in them called a BMS (Battery Management System) which protects the battery from damage or catching fire. We were also pleasantly surprised to see that lithium battery prices are now dropping as they become more common and now can be bought at prices approaching those of lead-acid batteries. If you have more than one battery, it is best practice for the batteries to be matched. This means in simple terms that they are the same brand, model and age as each other. Also you should not add additional batteries later on to your existing batteries. For these reasons we bought two batteries upfront, rather just one. Bigger batteries and bigger electrical loads need to be set up correctly to last and be safe Unfortunately lithium batteries can’t just be swapped into where your old lead-acid deep cycle battery operated. They have different charging needs and so battery chargers and solar controllers often need to be changed. Although the batteries were not as expensive as we initially thought, we realised we were heading for a major upgrade of the whole 12 volt system on the caravan. I guess this could have been done in stages but we did it all in one hit. Wayne Ravelich’s article in issue 9 of Camping the Kiwi Way; “Solar basics for dummies” was very useful. Getting specialist professional help to set up a new expanded system is highly advisable. It is not just choosing the correct charging equipment, but also setting it up safely with the correct fuses and wire sizes. 12 volt systems today have to deal with much greater electric loads and so there is more danger when things go wrong. We went to Rigs’n Things in Stratford and worked with the owner, Merv Hooper. Working with Merv was great experience in itself. His workshop is in ex-railways workshop complete with tracks running through it. He invited us to camp inside the workshop in our caravan while the work was being done. He also allowed us to help with the work to keep labour costs down. It also meant we were able to get a more hands-on feel about how everything fitted together and he listened to our ideas. We were concerned that the weight of solar panels could cause our flat caravan roof to sag in the centre. Merv appreciated our concern and so put together a roof rack system for the solar panels to take load on the outer edges of the roof. Bigger batteries are no use without the means to charge them Having decided we wanted 200 Amp hours of lithium battery power we needed to look at how we charged them. Solar panels are now much cheaper and better than they used to be, so my advice is to go overboard and put as much up as you have room for. Once installed they provide free power. In our case it was 640 Watts worth. Solar panels also like to be matched to work best. Due to space limitations on our roof we have two different types of panels so we installed two separate solar controllers; one for each type of panel. We added two further battery charging systems: A new 230 volt mains charger to charge batteries when the caravan is plugged into mains power and a DC to DC charger that charges the batteries from the car’s alternator when we are driving. We went with Victron (brand) Bluetooth components for all our chargers and controllers. This means the different chargers all talk to each other and are able to manage the different stages of battery charging in a coordinated manner. It is all automatic, and we can also see it all on our phones via Bluetooth if we want to. We also wanted a reliable fuel gauge to see how much battery power we are using and how much is left We added one more component to the mix in the form of a ‘smart shunt battery monitor’ which keeps track of the power going into and out of our battery by looking at the amps going in and out. The ‘shunt’ provides us with an effective fuel gauge and tells us how full our battery is. Due to the nature of lithium batteries the old voltage-based battery monitors in caravans don’t show how much power you have left. Our shunt has Bluetooth too and so we can monitor our power usage through a phone app. We put a ‘smart shunt’ in our caravan. It is easily installed between the negative terminal of our batteries and the chargers and loads. The smart shunt measures the current going in and out of our batteries and calculates how much battery power we are using and how much power we have left. We can see this information via Bluetooth on our phones rather than needing to wire in a separate display unit to show the information. It is like a fuel gauge for our power shown on our phones. We are looking forward to getting off grid and not worrying about how much power we have. 🏕️ Up Up 12 Winter 2025 , p 15

4 Winter 2023 4 Winter 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Whaanga Rd was not too difficult to negotiate in our 6m campervan. Waikato west coast road trip Greg Lokes We headed to Raglan along some back country roads. We lunched in Raglan and then headed out to Manu Bay to see some surfing action followed by a quick visit to the spectacular Te Toto/Raglan Gorge. Looking down on the Ruapuke Beach school campground From there we headed along Whaanga Rd to Ruapuke Beach where we overnighted at the fantastic old school camping ground. Ruapuke Beach Whaanga Rd was not too difficult to negotiate in our 6m campervan, if you’re comfortable with the potholes and corrugations on the drive from Manu Bay to Raglan Gorge then you should be fine with the rest of it. Ruapuke Beach Greg’s photography on Facebook: ckw.nz/gregs-eye PHOTOS: ©2023 Greg Lokes Up Up 4 Winter 2023 , p 26

2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Pick and pedal Gary Stoneley Is that e-bike right for you? Many New Zealanders are now moving to e-bikes and they definitely have health advantages while being cheap to operate and maintain. E-bikes allow travellers to park up and get on their bike to explore areas they might usually not get to while keeping their fitness up and catching some good old vitamin D. E‑bikes, battery-powered bicycles, have evolved quite a lot from the early days but with prices ranging anywhere from a thousand dollars to upwards of six thousand dollars how do you choose the bike that is best for you and your budget? I’m not a hardened cyclist and neither is Beverley, my wife, but for several years we have considered purchasing e‑bikes. We have been to many shows and visited many bike shops, tried out our friends’ and show models and watched the prices fluctuate against our limited budget. When Covid-19 came along demand and prices of e‑bikes climbed considerably. It took us a while to decide what was right for us but in the end the purchases were an easy choice. How do you make the right choice, first time round, on purchasing an e‑bikes? What will you use it for? One of the most important things to consider is what you will use the e-bike for and how often, keeping in mind that this could change. If you are only going to use the bike around town then an urban e-bike with limited features will be more suitable than one designed for riding over gravel and travelling rural trails. Some bikes are only suitable for urban riding and generally come with smooth tyres and without suspension. Others are more of a crossover, good for urban riding but with chunky tyres, suitable for occasional off-road riding. How much power assistance do you want? My personal preference is for an e-bike that requires you to still do the hard work with a wide choice of motor assistance. Some e‑bike riders prefer a bike where you only need to pedal occasionally, with the hand throttle giving you all the power and speed that you need. Will you be transporting the e-bike from place to place or will it be permanently kept at one place? If transporting it, how much space do you have to store it on or in your vehicle? What kind of bike rack would the bike need? How would it fit on your vehicle? In some cases a folding e‑bike may be an advantage, so it can be put in the boot or camper rather than mounted on the back (do try it out before buying, to make sure the folded bike actually fits). How far do you want to ride in one go? How far you can go on a single battery charge depends on the size and quality of the battery and how much pedalling you do and how much the bike engine does. Ask the seller how far the bike’s battery should be able to go. Each bike and battery will be different. Also check out how long it needs to be plugged in to fully charge. How much are you prepared to pay? For a couple getting into e-bikes for the first time you could easily spend $2,500 to $10,000 on your first two e-bikes. In NZ bike shops most e-bikes start around $3,400. For smaller folding bikes, or purchasing online, they can be considerably less than $2000. Check out online and instore specials for a bargain or use a discount membership card e.g. All Points Camping Club / Torpedo 7 to get year-round savings. Our experience We bought our e‑bikes in two steps and got some terrific deals by shopping online, but there are risks in this and you need to make sure the bike you are ordering will be suitable for your size and weight. Bev’s lime green urban bike was the first purchase which we scored for under $1000 and was a test run before we spent more money. It came with mudguards, carrier and front basket with the option of three levels of power-pedal assistance or simple pedal-free power. The bike also came with good tyres for a bit of off-road use. After taking this bike away for a camping weekend, two of our friends decided to purchase this model. My e‑bike was purchased initially because I could not keep up with Bev on my mountain bike. After an online search we found an Australian electric mountain bike for $1400. Both bikes are proving their value and we now travel around with them exploring towns, cycleways and on trails rated as ‘moderate level of difficulty’. We have added a few accessories like cell phone holders and mirrors but for under two and a half thousand dollars we have purchased two new e‑bikes that meet our needs, improve our fitness levels and we still have money in the bank. We could have spent so much more and for a first time purchase. Perhaps next time we might buy that $5000 bike but for now we can cycle along merrily. When travelling, check local information for urban and trail cycleways. There is a Facebook group for motorhomers who go cycling (see p36). There are also a variety of cycling apps that you can download on your phone to find and track your next cycling adventure. Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 17

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing the perfect gift idea for a camper in your life The Slow Road Jonathan Collins I caught up with the authors and fellow camping adventurers of this amazing book, The Slow Road, which is available from ckw.nz/allenandunwin Kirianna is a Kiwi and Lockie is Australian; after the pandemic grounded Lockie’s career as pilot, they and their three children travelled all around Australia in their custom-made kombi. They recently shipped their custom van to New Zealand and spent most of 2023 travelling and documenting their trips around the country. Here is what they have to say about their book. “This guide documents our journeys through NZ from 2022 to 2024. It is an essential resource for anyone contemplating a trip by van or caravan, offering valuable information for camping enthusiasts, van buyers or renters, and individuals seeking sun and sand. The book includes details about the places we visited in both the North and South Islands, featuring recommendations from locals, hidden gems, cultural and historical landmarks, sunset and sunrise viewing spots, as well as tips for fishing, swimming, skiing, and experiencing NZ’s diverse natural and cultural wonders. “Moreover, it delves into kitchen essentials, healthy road-trip food ideas, and a collection of recipes, along with advice on where to stay, eat, play, and explore in key North and South Island destinations.” Kirianna and Lockie have been sharing their adventures through YouTube and Instagram. @theslowroad_ This is the perfect gift idea for that camper in your life who has everything or perhaps treat yourself to a guide and inspiration for your next adventure. I will be popping in-store to Paper Plus to grab a copy for our van. Happy reading campers. (ISBN: 9781991006585) Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 29

11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption The drivers windscreen on our old bus cracked. ©2025 Carolyn and Keith London The drivers windscreen on our old bus cracked. Not once — the cracks just kept coming. ©2025 Carolyn and Keith London The drivers windscreen on our old bus cracked. Not once — the cracks just kept coming. ©2025 Carolyn and Keith London The drivers windscreen on our old bus cracked. ©2025 Carolyn and Keith London GO TO Here & there last summer It pays to try local first The cracks kept coming Carolyn and Keith London We had a week at Aniwhenua with friends again this Christmas. It wasn’t the best week as we had such bad weather — torrential rain then howling winds that destroyed 2 big dome gazebos. We cut our usual 2 weeks short and headed home. But the bad luck wasn’t over. The drivers windscreen on our old bus cracked. Not once — the cracks just kept coming. Keith had to slow right down to stop the window falling in on him — the rubber at the top of the window was coming out. After a few weeks of trying to find someone to fix it we finally found a local mobile glazier who even came on a public holiday. It pays to try local first . ©2025 Carolyn and Keith London Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 9

4 Winter 2023 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up One hundred nights a year Andrew Morton Up I am on track with my original goal of 100 nights away per year and mountain bike as much as I can in other regions. I just hit 3,000km on my mountain biking tally (non ebike!), 200 nights tonight in 20 months. I am marking the occasion with other teardrops at Orton Bradley Park on Lyttleton Harbour. I got a ‘healthy camper’ check done in Christchurch, having hauled it 15,000km so far. It passed with flying colours, and I look forward to many more trips. Images ©2023 Andrew Morton Up Up 1/0 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) editor@campingthekiwiway.org