15 Days New Zealand South Island Itinerary Series
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After a gruelling 10-hour flight, we finally touched down in Christchurch around 9 am.
Everyone looked a bit blur sia, especially the kids dragging their jackets and looking like they just woke up from hibernation.
The sky outside was all grey and cold, matching perfectly with how tired we all felt.
Wah, this is really the start of our family winter adventure.
11am: Picking Up the Campervan
We quickly found the shuttle bus to take us to our campervan pickup point.
We booked the Beach Berth 4, quite similar to the Berth 6 River, but the extra two seats at the dining table made a big difference to us.
No need to convert bed to dining area every morning like a puzzle.
Big win for us.
Pickup went smoothly, except for the usual wait of 30 to 45 minutes.
The staff took us through orientation, showing us the ropes. Then came the fun part shoving all our luggage, toys and makan stash into every nook and cranny of the van.
It's quite tough.
We had 3 big luggages and 1 ski bag. And 2 small cabin luggage.
Ski Bag in the toilet. One luggage below the bed. One Luggage + 1 cabin luggage below the dining table. And one more on top the bed above the driver seat.
Driving out for the first time was crazy.
The van is huge! 7.5 metres long, the size of a small bus.
On my very first roundabout, everything on the table launched off and scattered around.
Wah, so kena already.
Lesson one for campervan newbies: tie down everything, or secured them. Put them in the cupboard or it will fly away.
Max speed is 90 km/h, so must drive slow and steady.
Parking must be done carefully but thank goodness got reverse camera to help.
1pm: Stocking Up and Makan Time
Right after, first mission was to stock up on groceries.
We went to Woolworths near the airport. But before we could even start shopping, the kids were already crying “hungry lah!”
No choice, so first makan at McDonald’s nearby.
Nothing beats a quick comfort meal after long flight.
We only bought enough food to last 2 to 3 days so we don’t lug too much stuff around.
Later on during the trip, it is easy to top up.
2.30pm: Off to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
In the afternoon, the sky cleared a little, so we decided to visit Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. This is a last minute add-on to our itinerary.
Initially was just a relaxed drive to the holiday park and that's it for the day.
We picked this over Orana Zoo because it was more manageable with kids and could be done slowly in 2 to 3 hours.
Entry was $35 for adults, $25 for kids below 15, and under 5s enter free. Animal feed was $5 a packet, made the good decision of buying 4 packets, then trying to ration for the kids. You know kids, no patience one. Pour everything out in first few minutes lah.
So adults packet is buffer for them to feed at the later part.
Animals included horses, cows, sheep, some ugly pigs, chickens and ducks, plus a wallaby or two. The highlight was the Kiwi. It was under low light so you must be quiet quiet, or the little guy go hide.
Took a blurry photo, but still proud lah.
We left just as the place closed at 5 pm. Perfect for the kids to freely explore and get hands-on with the animals without rushing.
And at 5pm it is like sunset already.
7pm: Dinner and Check-In
On our way to the campsite, we googled for good fish and chips takeaway and found Southern Takeaway.
Reviews looked okay so we gave it a shot. Being Singaporean, of course I already packed my own ketchup, mayonnaise and chilli sauce. Once bite into fried fish and chips with our own chili sauce, steady lah.
It was like instant comfort food after a long tiring day. But I already scared of eating fried food for 10 days non-stop.
Confirm sian later.
Checked in Spencer Beach Top 10 Holiday Park around 7 pm. Reception already closed, but they left our booking details and site info in an envelope. No stress check-in.
We ate our dabao fish and chips in the warm campervan before facing the dreaded shower.
The Cold Shower Experience
I tell you, this was the true test. Outside was 5 degrees. I wore three layers including my winter jacket just to brave the walk. The shower ran on a 10-minute timer. Took at least 2 minutes just for the water to warm. After that, you had to race against time. The heater in the bathroom was weak. When timer ended, water off for 2 minutes cold down period—means you standing there trembling, waiting for hot water to come back.
Wife and kids also kena shock. They thought can wash all together but no lah. Must one by one. Super patience and planning needed to survive winter shower here.
11pm: Sleeping in the Campervan
After unpacking and making beds, we finally crashed around 11 pm. The inbuilt heater helped a bit, but not enough to chase away the cold winter air creeping in. I wore two layers to sleep and the kids all wrapped up tight like little sausages. Outside still very cold, but inside was just bearable for first night.
Day 1 was all about adjusting our bodies and minds to winter campervan life. Knowing tomorrow the driving and real trip starts for real, I felt both nervous and excited at the same time.