FOR SALE: Daihatsu Delta V76 4-berth Motorhome

Price: $25,000

We are selling our beloved 1985 Daihatsu Delta V76 motorhome, 'Dougie'. We are a UK family who have been travelling around New Zealand for the past 5 months in Dougie with our two little boys (Sam, aged 3, Ben aged 1). The van has been fantastic for us and we couldn't recommend the van enough for someone else - a family, couple or individual - for their travels. We have toured the North and South Island extensively with minimal issues with the van - no engine issues.

We had a couple of punctures so there are new tires on the front and two new on the rear right duel tires. Interior is in an excellent condition and is spacious: a large U-shaped seating area; spacious kitchen area with cooker and double gas hobs over the oven, sink and modern fridge; excellent hot shower, sink and portaloo toilet; wardrobe and overhead storage; bunkbeds above cab. There are modern modifications added to the van such as striplights, microwave and flatscreen TV. We bought the van in November 2016 and the previous owners were a couple who had looked after the van with interior additions and engine services.

As a family, we had rear seatbelts specially installed and certified by a specialist company. This allowed us to fit child seats in the rear of the van to keep our children safe and legal on the roads. The children were perfectly happy in their seats and enjoyed the views out of the large windows whilst listening to stories using the rear van speakers (there is a modern radio fitted with iPod/USB connectors, good speakers front and rear). The front cab can fit three passengers with a foldable middle seat allowing easy access to and from the rear of the van.

At night the rear seating area transforms into a spacious double bed. The bunk area is also a good-sized double (which ours boys shared). There are decent curtains and blinds fitted throughout to make the van cosy at night.

The van has a storage box at the rear which is large enough for any van equipment, accessories and tools.

We are selling the van with ALL the equipment we used for our travels: bedding, kitchen equipment, tools, electric hoover, spare battery, gas bottle etc.

Spec:

1985-Daihatsu Delta V76 4 berth
3 seatbelts front, 2 seatbelts rear (certified)
29,8000 kms (approx)
6m length, tare weight 3240kg (can drive on car license).
Aluminum frame and body.
Toyota 3.4 litre 13B engine, 5 speed manual Diesel. Reliable and economical.
Power steering, power-brakes. Exhaust brakes, new front brakes and cylinders.
New front tires, new dual set rear.
New water pump.
New 12v starter battery.
2 12v house batteries.
200litr grey tank, 150litr water tank-gauged. Portaloo.
90litr Dometic 3-way fridge with little freezer
Gas califont hot water heater. Good shower.
Electric and gas heater.
Stereo (iPod/USB), front and rear speakers.
-----------------------------
Self containment 17/7/18
Electrics 20/18.
COF 14/09/17

Equipment supplied:

Microwave
Flatscreen TV, tuner, satelite dish
Electric hoover
Spare gas cylinder and battery
Elec hook-up lead
Electric hotpot (frying pan)
Kettle, teapot
All pots, pans, plates, cutlery
Bedding, duvets, pillows, blankets
2x folding camping chairs

Plus much more equipment not listed, basically it comes with all you need to get you comfortably on the road!

We will be selling our van from 22 March and will be located in Christchurch (we can be flexible with the date and location). However, all enquiries are welcome before then for viewings and more information. Please get in touch: jalicrook@gmail.com or our NZ number 0224104710.

Price: $25,000

Taking It Easy & Luminate festival

Since arriving in the South Island we have changed the pace of our travels somewhat and have been taking it easy: long stays at campsites and plenty of time for relaxing (if you can with Sam and Ben!) rather than rushing from site to site. We spent four days at a beautiful retreat-type place called 'Shambala', a place off the beaten track with quiet leafy camp spots and secluded lodges all set overlooking a peaceful view of the ocean. There meditation and yoga sessions available in the mornings too which Ali enjoyed. Jonny took his first yoga class which he thought was 'tough'! We met up with a Scottish family here (who we had met previously on the North Island) so it was great for the boys to play with their familiar 'old' friends Alba and Floyd. Hopefully the children did not spoil the peace and harmony too much...We actually stayed longer than we planned here due to a huge storm descending on the region: 24-hour rain and wind. It meant that the river passing under a low-bridge on the small track road to Shambala had swollen and become impassible. No one could enter of leave until the waters had resided. Even our eventual exit was hairy as we powered through the still high river waters. Shambala was just north of the hippy, eco-warrior town  of Takaka, full of tie-died, barefooted backpackers. But it is a lovely town and was a good base to explore the local region of Golden Bay and the national park of Abel Tasman. We headed north to spend a few days near Wharakiki beach, to a lovely if windy, campsite close to 'Farewell Spit': the most Northerly tip of the South Island. The site had horses and peacocks roaming the site to entertain the boys
 Wharakiki beach is supposedly NZ's most beautiful beach and indeed it is quite spectacular with sand dunes, roaring waves and impressive rocks standing firm in the ocean. We saw seals and seal pups here too, sheltering in the rock caves.

The small town of Collingwood back down the road was really sweet, proud with local history. We enjoyed a short stay here with a campsite beside a beautiful driftwood and shell strewn beach with a spectacular mountainous backdrop. Definitely one of our favourite beaches. Ali and Sam both had a haircut here, with Sam having a much needed smart cut. Ben's hair on the other-hand is still growing wild and free - much like Ben - although Ali did trim his fringe so that the poor boy can see where he is going.

Further down the coast at Pohara was where Jonny enjoyed an overnight adventure, hiking a circular section of the famous Abel Tasman coastal walk. He started the walk with a classic error, hitching a lift in completely the wrong direction to begin the walk. But thankfully he was able to hitch another lift back to the proper start point and begin his trek which took him along coastal paths high into the hills. The walk took him through stunning scenery, with photo stops around almost every corner. There was an overnight stay at the lovely old bunkhouse of Whariwharangi hut (full of other hikers and unfortunately a snoring man) and then a sunny morning of hiking across beautiful untouched beach coves before heading inland up 'Gibbs Hill' and then down again back to the coast to complete the circuit.

Recently, we have just enjoyed a week-long festival called 'Luminate' - one of the reasons we have stayed a while in this area for the festival to begin. We bought tickets after friends recommended it (Thanks Holly an Andrew) to us as a family-friendly event, and indeed it has been a joyful week for all. Luminate is an 'Earth-Friendly Festival of Music, Arts, Culture, Inspiration & Transformation'. But beyond some of the more hippy-cheese aspects of the festival (yes there have been didgeridoos and Laughter yoga), it has been a great week of music, interesting workshops, performances and fun. It was strange going to a festival where you weren't allowed to take alcohol but it actually seemed to suit the vibe of the event, plus there was a big eco-emphasis on 'leaving no trace' with no litter left behind, hopefully (ok,so we did sneak a few beers and wine in for a well-earned cheeky drink at the end of the day - surely one of the perks of being a parent right?) For the children, there has been plenty of play, learning circus skills, story-tellers, singing sessions and magic shows. All of this set in the magical surroundings of the Canaan Downs - hills and forests with some amazing starry skies at night. We made great friends with lots of other lovely children and families and it has been wonderful watching them all play together and share their toys, books and food (mostly!).

Monday 6th February marked the half-way point in our 6-month trip and now the festival has come to an end it is time to continue with our Zealand adventures and head further southwards.

Sunset view from Shambala

Shambala gardens

Shambala gardens

Wharakiki beach

Boat sandpit - a hit with the boys

Collingwood beach, really beautiful

Sam's smart haircut

Ben with fringe trim

Jonny's hike in Abel Tasman park

Overnight bunkhouse at Whariwharangi

Walking down to Mutton cove

Opening ceremony at Luminate festival

Poi fire

Circus skills

Sam with friend Cassandra

Ben practicing

Family goes gold for the festival

Hippy Ben

With friends, Flo, Stella and Fin.

East Coast road trip and towards the South

Our East Coast Route 35 road trip did not disappoint. The road took us on many adventures as we followed it clockwise round the coast from Opotiki to Gisborne. The east coast felt very much 'untouched' by tourism and is desolate in places - like going back in time as we were told. But this made the trip feel like a proper adventure and for the first time we were properly 'freedom camping', staying at roadside stops but still with amazing views of the sea. We met a lovely Kiwi family with their children Tom, Anna and Beno. They were so lovely to Sam and Ben and took them under their wing, playing games, Lego and taking Sam 'surfing' on his inflatable surf board. We were to bump into them a few times on our journey much to the delight of the kids (and we got minutes to ourselves and to chat to the parents Mark and Aisha, as they took the boys off to play!).

One of the highlight of the trip was making the journey to see the East Cape Lighthouse - the most Easterly lighthouse in the world, apparently. This involved travelling on some rugged roads to reach a remote camping spot which looked and felt like the Outer Hebrides. We tackled the lighthouse the next morning which was no mean feat: 800 steps up the steep hill to reach the lighthouse and the spectacular view to sea. Sam made it all the way to the top on his own. Ali carried Ben up and down!

Visiting a macadamia cafe was also a treat, where we enjoyed all kinds of macadamia related delicacies surrounded by macadamia trees and a beautiful view to the bay below. Macadamia & Honey ice cream, macadamia shortbread and coffee/tea were enjoyed by all. Ali was in 'her special place' and came away with all kinds of nut-related purchases. You know you're in a good place when the tea pot comes with an extra jug of hot water for topping up the pot.

We hit Gisborne city at the end of the trip from which we planned the start of our escape of the North Island. It was to be a long, long journey down to Wellington which we split over two days. We made it down as far as Lake Tutira and enjoyed an overnight stay at an idyllic DOC site, a real hidden gem. The next day, we continued south, travelling on a Friday with our ETA for hitting Wellington being rush-hour. Typical timing for us! We also had no where booked to stay with some attempted 'AirBnB' bookings falling through. So as we were hooning our way down Highway 1, Ali made the brilliant decision to phone Novotel Wellington and book us in for 3-nights for a bit of luxury TLC and a well-deserved rest from Dougie. We must have been a sorrowful and shameful sight as we pulled up outside the hotel in the van with four grubby travellers piling out. Fortunately we could store the van in the hotel's loading bay and the hotel was located right in the city centre which placed us well for our 3 days in Wellington (no public transport needed!). The boys were thrilled and impressed by the hotel and couldn't get over how many people there were to say 'Hello' to in the city.

We really enjoyed Wellington (ok, so the hotel did help) and despite the wind (it was windy) we made the most of our time there. The cable car trip to the botanical gardens, Cuba Street for quirky shops and craft beers, Te Papa museum for culture and the Sunday food market for treats. Jonny also enjoyed a 'night out' to the impressive 1920s Embassy theatre to see Star Wars - Rogue One (a Christmas present from Sam). With it's quirky bars, grimy hangouts, plus some windy and wet weather, parts of Wellington felt very much 'at home' - this could have been Manchester's Northern Quarter.

We had an afternoon crossing over to the South Island on Bluebridge ferries. We left Dougie parked on the ship's deck crammed full of other campervans, huge trucks and cattle wagons (sheep). The crossing was about 4 hours and all was fine until...Sam was seasick whilst watching 'The BFG' in the cinema room. Sick went everywhere! Not our proudest moment and poor little Sam. The crossing was a little 'choppy' in the middle but once we reached the shelter of the Marlborough Sounds, we could enjoy the beautiful views coming into the bay of Picton (at least when we weren't chasing after Ben up and down the decks).

We enjoyed our first two nights in Picton staying in Dougie outside the home of Ali's family friends Helen and John, whose kindness, hospitality and knowledge was warmly received.

ps. We have had no less than two more punctures in the van since the last one. We had to have two new tyres put on in Gisborne - a costly job. Other than that the van is running well but we have bought AA membership all the same.

Ali at the macadamia cafe - 'heaven'

With friends, Tom, Anna and Beno

 

Dougie at the remote camp spot near the lighthouse

Up the 800 steps to see the lighthouse

At the top

Beautiful views out the back window and free to camp!

Lake Tutira - a special spot

One of us!

Breakfast in bed!

View from the hotel window - not bad a sea view, just

Top of the cable car and view of the city

Pizza treats in Wellington

Wellington - embracing the wind

New Year and the road ahead

So with Christmas behind us and New Year upon us, we formed a rough plan to head to Rotorua to stay for a few days. Rotorua is an action-packed holiday town, full of things to do - mainly adventurous activities that involve exploring the local redwood forests or the thermal geography that the region is famous for. Hot springs, bubbling pools and boiling mud are around every corner, along with the whiffy eggy smell of sulfur. We naively arrived in Rotorua without booking ahead for a campsite at the busiest time of year - whoops. Most places were fully booked. However, fortune was upon us and when we arrived at one site the owner told us 'sorry - fully booked'. But Ali seemed to charm him / take pity on us because in the end he offered us a pitch on his 'emergency spot' - a smaller than usual pitch but which we though was great and overlooked the trout river that the campsite was next to (and could swim, kayak and fish on).

Actually, the kind owner - Michael - probably thought our two boys would 'boost' the numbers of the site because it really was a lovely family and child-friendly site, with many people returning each year for the Christmas/NY holidays. He had even organised sweet little treats and events for the children such as 'water games' on the river. A fun child and adult kayak race was won by Sam and Dad and we were treated to sweets and little toys as a prize. For NYE there were some 9pm fireworks - perfect for the kids and not too loud/scary either. Sweets and sparklers were handed out for the children. Sam and Ben both enjoyed staying up late for the display and watched whilst sipping mugs of hot chocolate on the river bank.

On New Year's Day we enjoyed a beautiful walk through woods full of huge redwood trees and then along a crystal-clear river to find the Hamurana Spring - a truly magical sight with the source of the spring eerily flowing upwards from a deep underwater cavern.

Jonny enjoyed a few hours mountain biking in one of NZ's top biking spots: The Redwoods - Whakarewarewa Forest. There's so many trails to explore. The bike hire company also lent Sam and Ben a couple of balance bikes so they could 'have a go' too!

Leaving Rotorua, we headed south to seek out a bit of thermal pool paradise. We found 'Kerosene Creek' - a great 'off the beaten track' find: a warm narrow river that flows through a beautiful forest and opens out into a pool so people can sit and soak in the relaxing and invigorating warm waters. We then camped for two nights at the Waikite Thermal Spa - a lovely place that utilises a boiling hot natural spring and channels the water to heat a variety of spa pools. There is even a 'child-friendly' pool so as not to upset visitors who are wanting total tranquility (which we took turns to achieve with some early morning and late visits to the pools, sans kids).

So, with January ahead of us, we took a good look at our dates and plans and decided we had time on our side. Time enough to plan a road trip around the East Coast Highway which we had always wanted to do but never thought we'd get chance. It's 327km of road in what is suppose to be some of NZ's North Island more isolated and remote spots. Here we go...

New Year gathering for fireworks

Sparklers

Watching fireworks with hot chocs

New Year walk

Huge redwood trees

Us!

Mountain biking at Redwood forest

View of Rotorua from forest

At Kerosene creek