14 April Conclusions

It's taken three weeks to settle back in and reflect on the trip, but finally we have put some thoughts together.
We enjoyed the trip immensely, there wasn't been an anxious moment. New Zealand is without doubt a country with amazing scenery. It is very diverse, tall mountains, large lakes, tumbling waterfalls, sweeping beaches, rocky coves, towering forests, it just goes on and on.
Driving caused no problems at all, there are not any motorways as we would know them, but often wide roads with frequent passing lanes. The road surfaces are in good condition, not surprising as there was a large amount of road maintenance and resurfacing going on. All of the major roads and most of the minor roads are sealed and more remote gravel and dirt roads have been well graded, this in spite of washouts after heavy rain. The signposting is excellent, almost every road has it's name clearly displayed and directional information is accurate and well placed.
There is of course no language difficulty with everyone speaking English. The people are kind, friendly and very helpful. Everyone greets you, has time to talk and offers of assistance abound if, for example you are seen consulting a map or directions.
The camping experience was not what we expected and often disappointing, some of this was due to lack of knowledge before we arrived.  We were surprised by the number of motor-homes, both rented and owned by New Zealanders, although perhaps this was rather naive of us as we were aware of the large number of companies specialising in motor-home and camper van rental. We have to declare a dislike of caravans and motor-homes, somehow it goes against the spirit of camping and the enjoyment of being outdoors to take all your home luxuries with you. This is a bit hypocritical as when we decided to rent a car we could sleep in we chose a model with a small fridge running from an auxiliary battery. The adapted Toyota Estima, a long hatchback with the back seats taken out, was really neither one thing or another. Once the bed was made up there was no where to sit inside the car if it was very cold, (it frequently was), or it rained (it did). All cooking had to be done outside the car. With a tent you usually have a covered area where you can cook and sometimes even sit. As we were sleeping in the car we needed to park on level ground which meant that we were confined to the areas of the campsites used by the caravans and motor-homes, often enormous beasts capable of permanent occupation. With a tent it would have been possible on the Department of Conservation sites to pitch a short walk away, on grass lakeside verges or under trees.
Broadly speaking we found two distinct types of campsite. One type is categorised as 'Holiday Parks', which covers quite a range. There would always be flush toilets, hot showers and electric hookups, (the Toyota Estima was not equipped for a hookup so we weren't able to take advantage of one even if it was available) and a fridge. There would usually be a washing up and clothes washing facility. At the other end of the 'Holiday Park' range there were fully equipped kitchens, ovens, microwaves, kettles or hot water machines, toasters, cooking pans, crockery and cutlery, and freezers, laundry rooms with washing machines, games and TV rooms, swimming pools, etc., etc. Most of the Holiday Parks also had a range of other accommodation, from simple cabins, just a hut with beds in it, but sometimes a fridge and a kettle, to fully equipped, self contained luxurious units. Then, at the opposite end of the spectrum were the Department of Conservation sites, usually in beautiful settings, often quite a way down dirt tracks or unsurfaced roads. One or two, in prime tourist locations had flush toilets, but usually there was just a 'long- drop'. Some had cold showers or cubicles where you could hang up a solar heated water bag. Some had standpipes but often the water was not potable, on a couple of occasions we had to take a bucket to a stream or lake for all non drinking water purposes. None had electricity so we didn't expect them to be used by the caravans and motor-homes, but they piled in, using their auxillary batteries, even to put their TVs on!
When it rained, because of the rather cramped conditions in the car and the difficulty of keeping wet gear away from the bedding, we took a cabin. In retrospect we wish we had hired a car and bought or hired a simple tent. We would have done exactly the same things, used DoC sites in good weather and ate mainly cold, picnic type food, then occasionally gone to Holiday Parks for a hot shower and the washing and cooking facilities. Maybe we would have had a better camping experience.
The Department of Conservation is absolutely amazing, we could not believe the amount of time, effort and money which is spent keeping the countryside to a very high standard. It is efficient and well organised. Even the remotest DoC campsite had a daily visit by a warden to clean and replenish the toilets and make sure that everything was OK. They have responsibility for all the countryside apart from the fisheries. This too was extremely well managed, hiking paths were clearly marked and well maintained, it would be difficult to get lost. They have a programme of eradicating non-indigenous flora and fauna, so gorse and broom are sprayed with chemicals, trees which escape from the logging areas, presumably wind, bird and animal carried seeds, are poisoned. Traps are laid, clearly marked, to catch land mammals such as possums, stoats, weasels, rats and rabbits. On the one hand they are to be congratulated on their efforts to protect indigenous plants from invasive intruders, but on the other hand nature is dynamic and evolving and these measures mean that poisonous chemicals are being introduced into the ecosystems. The countryside was so well managed it was almost too perfect, like a giant Theme Park, with no sense of wilderness.
We understand from speaking to fellow travellers that the advantage of New Zealand is that it does provide a safe environment in which to experience other extreme activities. You can do five day hikes over mountains and glaciers, testing your endurance and stamina, but knowing that you wouldn't get lost, could always be rescued. There is bungy-jumping, white water rafting, climbing, caving, horse riding treks and so much more, but all in a safe and secure setting where the risk factor is down to you as an individual.  One of the things we look forward to when we travel is the opportunity to experience new and different cultures, to have our perceptions challenged and to increase our first hand knowledge and appreciation of the lives and livelihoods of other peoples. The trip to New Zealand did not provide that, the cultures are so similar we did not step outside our comfort zone, so this trip was not as rewarding as others we have made.