15 Days New Zealand South Island Itinerary Series
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Morning started with high hopes and a fresh pack of wet wipes.
8am do the first parade. Top the water, and drain away the waste water etc.
Then warm up the campervan, so it is not so cold.
Drive to the supermarket to get our groceries and stop.
9.30am - Route Planning
The original game plan was super straightforward. The drive from Hanmer Spring to Carters Beach looked like a chill 250+ km.
I was thinking, easy one, just cruise along, enjoy some nice scenery, maybe take one or two extra stops for sightseeing and photos.
Our itinerary looked like one of those “minimum effort, maximum fun” days.
But because our campervan got hiccup yesterday, so we had no choice but to spend the night at Kaikoura instead of Hanmer Spring.
At first, I thought, aiyoh, why now? One extra hiccup in the trip, but at least we found a comfy spot to rest.
The real twist?
While setting the GPS, we realise there was a major road closure from Hanmer Spring to Carter Beach popping up at the last minute.
If we had stuck to the original plan, the only way would be to make a crazy detour all the way back to Kaikoura, up the Wairau Valley, and finally to Carter Beach.
That route was at least 550 km, maybe even more if we got hungry along the way and took more toilet breaks.
If we used Arthur Pass, still around 500 km.
That is basically the ultimate “are we there yet” trip.
But because we already ended up staying in Kaikoura after the car breakdown, our next day’s journey was just around 400+ km.
Not the shortest, but consider this: instead of suffering through 550 km with two restless girls and a car boot full of snacks, we “accidentally” saved more than 100 km.
Based on an average speed of 70kmh, without breaks, we will be driving at least 6 hours. With lunch and some stop breaks.
I think easily 9-10 hours of drive.
That is a lot of petrol and time and a lot less grouchy faces in the back seat.
So even though the breakdown looked bad on the surface, it was really the universe giving us a shortcut.
We got spared a mega detour and managed to make it to our next stop without running out of bribes for the kids.
Sometimes, when life reroutes your plans, you get exactly what you did not know you needed.
This round, I was really happy to take the “lucky escape” and say thank you to whatever angel handled my family’s GPS that day.
12 PM: Lunch Cosy Corner
Can someone tell me why every detour add ten stomach growls per hour?
By lunchtime, even the kids were offering to eat plain rice.
Found Cosy Corner thanks to Google, but the real MVP award goes to Old Chang Kee, back home.
Those pies did not hit the spot, but everyone survived, no drama, just full.
3 PM: Lake Rotoiti Jetty
Another two hours, another
“Are we there yet?” from the back seat.
The lake was big enough to make MacRitchie look like a puddle.
Everyone stretched, took that influencer photo for Instagram, “#blessed,” but in reality, everyone was aiming for the next toilet and snack time.
This is the best time we appreciate campervan toilet. We can stop anywhere, anytime when we needed the pee break.
5 PM: Maruia Falls Detour
Somehow, every trip becomes a National Geographic special. Waterfall here, river there, sun setting, I start chionging, racing the darkness. Took more photos, waited patiently for that one shot with nobody photobombing.
Mother Nature still wins.
Did not dare hang around, otherwise dinner will be breakfast.
5.30 PM: Welcome to The New Zealand Nighttime Slalom Challenge
This road made S-curves look straight.
Headlights only can see three metres, bends so sharp, my steering wheel did a full workout.
If you ever need a thrill ride, just book a campervan and find a random mountain road after sunset.
Everyone in the car got quiet.
You know it is serious when even the kids stop asking for snacks.
Some bends are as slow as 15kmh.
And some even 1 lane.
This is actually the most challenging drive for the entire trip.
7.15 PM: Arrival at Carter Beach
Finally, saw the golden lights of the holiday park.
Got our “late comers” envelope – long story short, my new hobby is collecting these envelopes.
Kitchen and bathroom tour time.
Just nice, family cubicle only.
Means Mama can shower the kids together and faster finish up so more time for supper.
Only five other campervans around.
I suspect we are all here looking for peace, quiet, and somewhere to dry laundry.
9 PM: Dinner: Udon Soup
The moment everyone waits for – food. Whipped up udon soup for the kids, cheesed mushrooms and meatballs for the grown-ups.
Campervan hero moment.
Kids crashed by 11 PM, but I was still washing dishes, living my best life as a one-man cleaning crew.
Not bad, covered more ground than the 170 bus.
Total for the day: 412 km.