Day 2

3 April 2010

We have booked a campervan / motorhome that will be our sole mode of transportation + accomodation for the entire duration of our trip. D has researched and found the perfect company for us. And so, on this sunny afternoon, we found ourselves looking for a stunning, curvy redhead in the airport parking lot.

Introducing Lucy

Lucy is dismally, only a mascot for the renowned campervan hire in New Zealand and Australia - called Jucy Rentals. They have a range of campervans to choose from, starting from your basic MPVs to vamped-up truck that doubles up as your mobile home. The full range of the availability and specifications are available here: - http://www.jucy.co.nz/campervan-hire-listing.asp. I don't mind the free advertising as Jucy treated us well and there were no major mishaps.

We rented a 2-person motorhome dubbed the JucyChaser and it includes a small stove, sink, bar fridge, WC and shower area. No, it is not an engineering marvel, just heavily cramped spaces. The idea of living in such compromised quarters for a forthnight is a little daunting.

Floor plans

We began what was to be our routine for the next 2 weeks, the checking in of any available powered sites. All you have to do is drive into a Holiday Park, locate a reception, pay your fees (average $18 - 16 per head per night), and park your van onto your dedicated parking lot. Plug in your electrical cables and water supply lines, and presto, your van has just turned into a cosy cabin.

Because we were green and inexperienced, we checked into the Top10 Holiday Park. These are the NZ equivalent of Aussie's Big4 Holiday Parks. There is one of them in almost every town and they provide the best facilities: - regularly-cleaned washrooms, spacious kitchens and miscellanous resources such as TV rooms, children's playground, mini pool etc. Some might even have a mini-golf lawn.

Which makes them the most expensive holiday parks around. Avoid them if you are on a budget.

even though they look really neat & tidy

you know you may need to pay extra when the reception looks like this

Apologies for sounding miserly. Trying to keep a realistic budget here.

Not so when it comes to tea. Being avid food-lovers, (a.k.a. gluttons), we decided to splurge a little for dinner. We found the wrong place to do so. Do not go to the Palazzo de Marinaio when in Christchurch. Firstly because they are the first Italians to disappoint us. Secondly, they could not deliver even with the abundant seafood available in NZ. Thirdly, the ingredients were used haphazardly and there is always a fourth and a fifth, but I shall spare you the whole inefficacy.

Do not know why we fell for such a corny promo