Innholdsfortegnelse for No 72 i RV Travel Lifestyle

As you’ll read, the Rock and I are in Kaikoura as we finalise this issue. The weather is just gorgeous – sunny and warm during the day, stunning snowcapped mountains behind us and rolling surf beach below. But with the huge pressure getting this massive issue to the printers, our artist Cam having a meltdown, and me being so late with reviews and this editorial, we haven’t had much fun out in the RV – ‘having a life’ as we recommend all our readers do! Seriously it has been a busy month, and the rest of this year is already scheduled to race by at the same pace. We’re also busy planning our trip to the Hamilton NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show later this month, thinking about prizes and…

Buying a motorhome or campervan – where to start? If you’re reading this article the chances are you are thinking about buying a motorhome or ‘RV’ (recreational vehicle). And as it’s probably the second most expensive purchase you’re going to make in your life after buying a house, it’s not a decision you should take lightly so some homework is in order. So where do you start? Having spent nearly 20 years in the RV industry I’ve probably been asked a million questions so here’s a little advice from me to start your RV buying journey. I think one of the fundamental questions everyone should ask themselves when looking to buy an RV is: what do you want to do in your new pride and joy? If you’re still working…

With two already sold by day two of the Covi Supershow, Rhys and Michele Hunter from Sunliner’s New Zealand dealership were pretty confident the Sunliner Switch was going down a treat. I was keen to find out why these Aussie motorhomes were proving so popular with Kiwi buyers. Michele invited me to sit “in the big, luxurious lounge …” to write some notes. I didn’t need a second invitation and was soon seated in the comfortable rear lounge, notebook in hand. I admit to being somewhat agog. The U-shaped lounge which wrapped around the back of the vehicle was indeed a winner. I am a sucker for a good rear lounge, having experienced many a memorable time enjoying the amenities of test vehicles with this lauded feature, so I could…

“Plenty of people have drowned here.” Mickey Ryan of Outwest Tours was showing us Constant Bay, a small rocky bay where a huge sea crashes on the rocks beyond its extremely narrow entrance. Constant Bay, west of Charleston near Westport, is named after the first ship to enter its small confines. Charleston, where gold was discovered in 1866, was named after the Constant’s captain Charles Bonner, and was originally dubbed Charlie’s Town before being changed to its present name. The first harbourmaster’s house was built on the north side of the harbour entrance, called Flagstaff Hill after the flags that were flown to let ships know whether it was safe to enter. When a blue flag was raised, it signalled that it wasn’t safe to come into the harbour and,…

Since 2007 Lysaght Marine Ltd have represented Track Trailer of Melbourne, Australia, here in NZ, selling their legendary TVAN off-road camping trailers. Track was formed in the 1980s by a well-known figure in the RV industry, the late Alan Mawson, and developed trailers for the Australian Defence Force – and are still in service today. The company, however, really hit its stride with the development of the venerable TVAN at the turn of the millennium. With over 2000 of these off-road camper trailers on the road today, and now in their Mk 5 iteration, owners enjoy a resale value returning more than they paid for them new! Then, due to customer demand for more luxury and weather protection, Track released the ‘Topaz’ hybrid off-road caravan and it immediately struck a…

One copy of each title to be won, email the book title as subject to subs@rvmagazine.co.nz or post to PO Box 220, Martinborough 5711 with your full details, go in the draw to win. Closes 30 October 2018. ONE COPY TO BE WON Down a Country Road Tony Orman RRP $24.99 New Holland Publishers Down a Country Road is an evocative return to a way of life that has largely disappeared. From the explorer pioneers of the 19th century to those who continue to inhabit the harsh inland environment today, the wry humour and staunchness, determination and other admirable qualities of the Kiwi characters and their tales of coping and surviving the harsh conditions, are a revelation. ONE COPY TO BE WON To the Mountains Laurence Fearnley & Paul Hersey…

Woof woof welcome, it has been a couple of months since my last column, and boy have we been so woof woof busy. It has been nice and sunny at home so plenty of walkies when we have been there. On Wednesdays I get a lot of attention if we go to Kitchener’s to visit Sooty and others, while da mama and papa sit inside, usually eating without me, woof groof not happy, but sometimes I get a bit of egg or bacon. Mama says it’s trainee copper day whatever that means – so many bright yellow vests around, they must have to be seen easily these people. Funny mama and papa like these people here, but not when we see them on the road and they stop us to…

It all started 18 months ago when my lovely wife Nic casually suggested we should go and look at some imported UK caravans, making me wonder if she might have some gypsy ancestry I wasn’t aware of. We live in Albany and there’s a caravan importer over in Cowley Place, so off we went for a look. I was really surprised at how far modern caravans have come. The interior fixtures and fittings, along with wheel movers, etc. were quite an eye opener. We looked at the pros and cons, but the thought of towing one around the highways and byways of New Zealand didn’t really appeal to me. Nothing against caravans – it’s just not my thing. For five years I towed a race car around the country and…

We are perched in a high-rise building with a glimpse of the sea. Through the binoculars I see people in the building across the way, with headphones on, talking – people in cubicles, staring at screens. I notice one of the computer screens looks like the colour of my tax return. That’s interesting. “We are staying next door to the Inland Revenue,” I say to Rick. “I should have brought my tax return with me. I could have dropped it off,” he replies. He’d just mailed his return as we left the village. Between two high-rise office towers I spot two cute little buildings with pitched roofs. “One is a fish and chip shop,” I say to Rick. “Fish and chips for dinner then,” he says. “No. Something more interesting…

For three years in a row, tourers from the Wales-based Fifth Wheel Company have won the UK Caravan Club design awards for best fifth wheel, and been described as a “Penthouse on Wheels”. The larger of the two fifth wheel models, the Celtic Rambler, has previously achieved an outstanding overall verdict of 10 out of 10" in a test drive feature by The Caravan Club magazine. Keith McIver of Fifth Wheel Tourers Ltd, the exclusive New Zealand distributor for Fifth Wheel Co says, “As a result of talking to many experienced New Zealand motorhomers and caravanners, we have worked closely with the factory design team to develop a specification that reflects the preference of New Zealand customers for the combination of luxury and extended off-grid living.” All New Zealand-destined fifth…

Can there be a better start to a trail than farewelling the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’ and plying across a pristine lake on a 100-year-old steamship, with a backdrop of the most remarkable mountains? Well if there is, I want to find it! Leaving Queenstown (or should that be ‘Queenopolis’ given the recent population explosion?), you leave the bustle of business for simpler shores. The trip on the TSS Earnslaw is like the briefest of ocean journeys spiriting you away to a whole new land; and once you leave the steamship’s dark coal-smoke clouds behind, a fresh new journey begins. I have guided many cycle groups on this trail and have noticed how riders hop off the boat, full of anticipation of what lies ‘around the mountains’, fizzing in…

Behind every small museum across the country is an army of talented volunteers contributing to the national heritage through the protection and promotion of images, artefacts and taonga in their care. I was reminded of this when I visited two very different museums at Devonport recently: Devonport Historic Museum and Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. At each I was fortunate to be guided through by passionate and uniquely talented people who helped me achieve a better understanding of the heritage they help to protect and enhance. At Devonport Museum, my first port of call (if you will pardon the nautical parlance applied to this maritime community), volunteers – who are also committee members – were gathered in numbers to discuss aspects of the collection they were each working on. I was…

While returning to England from a trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1835, naturalist Charles Darwin – who had broken his journey at Paihia in the Bay of Islands – was invited to visit the Waimate North mission station by missionary William Williams. The property’s English-style rural landscape, laid out in the nature of a model farming village with fields of wheat and corn, fruit trees and vegetables, led Darwin to enthuse that it had been “placed there as if by an enchanter’s wand”. This is just one of the fascinating tales that Heritage New Zealand property manager Alex Bell relates as we sit on the verandah of the historic Georgian dwelling in the weak winter sun. We’d driven past the house often enough, but although we’d been to the…

Looking at the UK Bailey manufacturer shows us an RV manufacturer that has been building leisure vehicles in South Bristol since 1948. Over this time a lot of research and development has gone into their RVs and it shows in the product: innovative storage solutions, multi-purpose areas, comfort and safety, and a floor plan to suit every need. The company has been a world leader in RV construction R&D. In 2009 they developed the Alu-Tech Construction System, an interlocking aluminium external framework that clamps the body sandwich panels together to produce a shell that is considerably stronger than one manufactured using traditional methods with wooden frames. At the time this innovation reduced the number of external joints and fixing points on their caravan builds by 90 per cent, which is…

LASER PLUMBING & ELECTRICAL HAMPTON DOWNS 500 When: October 13-14 Where: Hampton Downs Road, Hampton Downs W: hamptondowns.com This event will see a strong field of Australian GTs in a 100km race on Saturday and a 400km feature race on Sunday. Support categories are among the best in New Zealand including Central Muscle Cars, BMW Racing Series and Porsche Cup. NZMCA MOTORHOME, CARAVAN & LEISURE SHOW When: September 21–23 Where: Mystery Creek, Hamilton W: nzmotorhomeshow.co.nz For lovers of the great kiwi outdoors. Get ready for a bigger show featuring all your favourite brands when they return to Hamilton. ALEXANDRA BLOSSOM FESTIVAL When: September 21–24 Where: Alexandra W: blossom.co.nz Celebrate the arrival of spring in Central Otago with the unique feel of a country fair in a modern age. HOKIANGA COUNTRY…