Vanlife in New Zealand: My First Sunset and Sunrise Adventure

Millenials and Gen Z have taken to #VanLife and are having adventures, living their best lives on the road, so I thought I’d give it try in NZ! I picked up my van in Auckland, no problem. I chose Escape vans because of the price and the reviews, AND they each have unique graffiti art. Mine is reminiscent of the movie UP, which is one of my favorites, with the house being lifted off the ground by balloons. I love it. All of the planning aside, when you are sitting behind the wheel of a van, (about the size of a VW bus I would say), and you have to drive on the left side of the road, it’s a new reality check. I was reminded of the time I drove from Dayton, OH to Knoxville, TN in a 15 passenger van full of kids for the National Youth Event. This was less stressful than that, so I mustered up my courage and put the van in gear. There are signs in the van, and all over NZ, KEEP LEFT! KEEP LEFT! I did learn from my last venture into English driving: pay the extra money for an automatic transmission! Left hand shifting AND left hand driving is a bit much for me, and I’m out of practice now. My first car, the 1990 Pontiac Sunbird was a stick shift, but that’s long gone.

My first night I stayed in a holiday park, which is like a simple KOA. There are places to park or pitch a tent, plus hot showers, kitchen facilities, nice bathrooms, and the like. After a multi-day trip, I wanted a shower, and to be around people who could help me with #vanlife in case I needed it. It turns out, I didn’t need it. I had stopped at the grocery store for supplies and cooked my own food, made my bed up, and watched the sunset around 5:00 pm. It was the winter solstice, and thus the longest night of the year. I tried to stay up later, but with the dark skies, jet lag, and a long trip, I fell asleep before 7. With the sunrise at around 7 am, I was up long before the sun. This will be one of the best parts of trip: watching every sunset and sunrise. What an amazing thing that in such a short time, I can be watching the night sky on the other side of the world! I am so grateful to have this life, which is full of wonder and possibility. They say “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I’m learning and growing during this trip. I can feel it. I don’t want to stay the same and I don’t think we are meant to. I come to this time not as a tourist, but an explorer; an adventurer. Maybe that’s too lofty, but hey, it’s my adventure. Vanlife in NZ at 53 years old on my own–I’m doing it!

So far, I think living in a van for a period of time is really fun. Having backpacked a fair bit, this is much nicer: way drier, more creature comforts like electricity and a foam mattress, better food variety, and the ability to see more in a period of time. I’m still getting used to the driving, and I drive slower than everyone else, apparently–lots of people pass me. But for a few moments, I did forget to be nervous, and just enjoyed the drive; the beautiful mountains and farms, the new calves and lambs in the fields. There’s new life everywhere.

So, now that I’ve had a sunset, and a sunrise, on to to meet the next adventure. I was back on the road for a trip to the Coromandel peninsula and my try at primitive camping, van style.

Thanks for following along. Sending you all love.

Nicole