A campervan hire is a great way to travel around New Zealand. You'll enjoy a huge range of activities, from relaxing on sparkling beaches in the Northland region of the North Island and visiting the geothermal wonders in Rotorua to experiencing the spectacular scenery of the South Island, including Franz Josef Glacier, Marlborough Sounds and Lake Wanaka.
Travelling around New Zealand in a campervan gives you all the flexibility you need to really enjoy your time in this natural, unspoilt and friendly country. However, when you decide to book a New Zealand campervan hire, there are several important factors to consider before getting into the driver's seat. And before you pick up your campervan, you should familiarise yourself with the important points about driving on New Zealand roads.
You want to be able to enjoy your holiday and take in the scenery, so safety is paramount. In New Zealand, we drive on the left hand side of the road, which is different to many other countries in the world. If you are in a campervan, you will probably be travelling along all sorts of roads, through cities, towns and rural areas. It's important to remember that New Zealand roads can be windy and narrow so you need to be attentive and allow plenty of time for the journey. You will also need to leave time for rest breaks - which shouldn't be too hard because there will be so many places to stop and enjoy the scenery.
When you arrive at your campervan pick up point, make sure you allow plenty of time to learn about the equipment on board and find out how to make the most of the home you'll be travelling in for the next few weeks. It can be a good idea to plan to stay one night at your pick up point, rather than start travelling straight away. This will give you time to enjoy the town you're in, as well as getting used to the campervan and orienting yourself before beginning your travelling adventure.
Some other important things to keep in mind are the speed restrictions. In urban areas, the speed limit is 50 kms per hour. The open road speed is 100 kms per hour. In a campervan, you will probably go slower than this. Allow for an average speed of around 60 kms per hour on the open road and don't try to fit too much in to a short space of time. Planning can be useful, allowing for some flexibility along the way, of course. Safety belts are compulsory and it is illegal to use mobile phones while driving, unless they are hands free. Do not drink and drive and make sure you get plenty of sleep before embarking on the next part of your journey.
Most of all, enjoy your New Zealand campervan hire and make the most of your time to explore this wonderful country.
Sunrise Holidays are South Island specialists but do travel to the North Island for longer hires so if you are looking for camper van hire in New Zealand visit our website today: www.sunriseholidays.co.nz
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roydon_Anderson
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6637970
By Roydon Anderson
Showing posts with label Camping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camping. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
What to Do With the Kids When Camping
A few of my suggestions
Keeping your kids from being bored while camping can sometimes be challenging. Here are some tips that should keep their minds and bodies occupied, which will also make your trip more enjoyable and relaxing.
Keep them busy!
There is a lot to do around a campsite. Setting up the tent/trailer, gathering firewood, and more. Don't let your kids just sit on the sidelines while you do all of the work. Get them to pitch in and make it a fun, family activity. Have a contest to see who can gather the most firewood. When there's competition between siblings involved, you'll be surprised how willing they are to help out.
I used to go exploring. If there was a woods or stream in the area, I found it and found all kinds of adventure. Go on a family hike. Take turns letting the kids lead the group (they love to be included and in charge). Turn exploration into a game and have a scavenger hunt. Whoever finds the items on their list first wins an extra s'mores.
If you have any crafty kids this is also a great opportunity to bring out the artsy in them. Let them get creative with what they've found. Bring along a bottle of glue, some craft paper and turn their imagination loose. You might be surprise with what they can do with a pinecone. Check ahead of time to find out what kind of wildlife you may encounter and encourage the kids to research those animals. Bring along books to help identify wildlife spotted while camping. Have discussions with the children about what to do when encountering wildlife. What do you do if you come upon a snake or bear in the wild? What do you do if you find an injured or lost animal?
What would camping be without a fire, story telling, and of course, food. Hot dogs roasted on a 'clean' stick, toasted marshmallows, or bring along a pie iron with a few ingredients and let them get creative making their own sandwiches. Fruit filling, pizza sauce, cheese, salsa are some of the ingredients you can use.
On rainy days, if you're forced to stay inside, make popcorn and play cards. Some of the best memories come from the family sitting around a table playing games and talking.
Kids may think of it all as work and avoid participating at first, but after a while they'll come to realize that anything is more fun that just sitting around and getting eaten by mosquitoes.
Roy began camping with his parents as a child and enjoyed taking his own kids camping when they were growing up. He is the owner/webmaster of http://www.anythingwisconsin.com Roy has written other articles on camping and also a few pontoon boating articles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_F_Brown
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6688797
By Roy F Brown
Keeping your kids from being bored while camping can sometimes be challenging. Here are some tips that should keep their minds and bodies occupied, which will also make your trip more enjoyable and relaxing.
Keep them busy!
There is a lot to do around a campsite. Setting up the tent/trailer, gathering firewood, and more. Don't let your kids just sit on the sidelines while you do all of the work. Get them to pitch in and make it a fun, family activity. Have a contest to see who can gather the most firewood. When there's competition between siblings involved, you'll be surprised how willing they are to help out.
I used to go exploring. If there was a woods or stream in the area, I found it and found all kinds of adventure. Go on a family hike. Take turns letting the kids lead the group (they love to be included and in charge). Turn exploration into a game and have a scavenger hunt. Whoever finds the items on their list first wins an extra s'mores.
If you have any crafty kids this is also a great opportunity to bring out the artsy in them. Let them get creative with what they've found. Bring along a bottle of glue, some craft paper and turn their imagination loose. You might be surprise with what they can do with a pinecone. Check ahead of time to find out what kind of wildlife you may encounter and encourage the kids to research those animals. Bring along books to help identify wildlife spotted while camping. Have discussions with the children about what to do when encountering wildlife. What do you do if you come upon a snake or bear in the wild? What do you do if you find an injured or lost animal?
What would camping be without a fire, story telling, and of course, food. Hot dogs roasted on a 'clean' stick, toasted marshmallows, or bring along a pie iron with a few ingredients and let them get creative making their own sandwiches. Fruit filling, pizza sauce, cheese, salsa are some of the ingredients you can use.
On rainy days, if you're forced to stay inside, make popcorn and play cards. Some of the best memories come from the family sitting around a table playing games and talking.
Kids may think of it all as work and avoid participating at first, but after a while they'll come to realize that anything is more fun that just sitting around and getting eaten by mosquitoes.
Roy began camping with his parents as a child and enjoyed taking his own kids camping when they were growing up. He is the owner/webmaster of http://www.anythingwisconsin.com Roy has written other articles on camping and also a few pontoon boating articles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_F_Brown
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6688797
By Roy F Brown
Winter Camping Advantages Over Summer Camping
Summer is more popular than winter when it comes to camping seasons. It is mainly because of its warm and nice weather. Also, it is the time where families get to spend time with their children being out from school. And because of this, campgrounds and campsites are usually flooded by campers during the summer. If you don't make reservations in advance you may not have a place to pitch your tent.
Meanwhile, although not as popular as summer camping, winter camping can still be quite exciting and enjoyable. Because it is more challenging, more and more people seem to enjoy the thrill. Those who have tried it say that nothing is more rewarding than to be able to experience camping in the cold and enjoy its own advantages over summer camping.
Here are some advantages of winter camping:
No bugs and mosquito bites. This is the season where you will be able to camp bug free. Because during cooler weather, insects starts to hibernate thus you will no longer have to worry about ants crawling into the contents of your food or blood sucking mosquitoes.
Food Storage. Using your shovel you can make a storage cabinet for your food out of snow. This will help make your food last longer and keep it frozen.
No crowds. Because not all people enjoy camping in the cold it is the best time to experience solitude and tranquility with nature. You will no longer have to worry being rammed in like sardines. You also won't be bothered by inconsiderate fellow campers.
Cheaper campsite rates. Prices for campgrounds usually drop at certain non-peak months of the year especially during winter season. (redundant)
Gorgeous scenery. Winter camping offers a different kind of scenery and is quite alluring. Trees have already shed their leaves which make a great view to the starry skies. Frozen rivers and lakes offer ice-skating or ice-fisihing - always check campground office for safety precautions.,
More choices for campsites. Unlike during summer season where you have to book in advance to be able to get a spot in camping sites and rely on the description on a brochure, in winter camping that is no longer required. Often time, you can just turn up on the camping site right there and pick the best spot. Because the camp ground is relatively empty, there may even be enough space for you to do all your activities such as sledding and skiing.
Camp fires. A camping trip isn't complete without gazing into the stars around the camp fire while holding a mug of a hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows. If you think winter camping means no campfires, you are wrong. Many campground have campfire pits. Clear the snow out of the campfire pit, put some dried campfire wood, and you'll be enjoying a blazing fire on a crisp winter night. In fact, during peak season or summer season, some camp sites actually don't allow camp fires because of the risk of starting forest fire. But because crowds tend to disappear during winter season, rules are relaxed a bit.
Cozy nights. Keeping warm during the night is not really a problem in winter camping. As long as you have the right sleeping bag and gears, your nights would be shiver free and absolutely cozy. If you're the kind of person who finds it easier to bundle up in the cold, then cooling yourself in the hot humid summer, winter camping might be just for you.
For a free 28-page Campfire Recipe book, email camping_recipes@aweber.com
Watch VIDEOS of Camping how-to, tips, recipes, gear reviews at http://www.JoyofCamping.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Myrtha_C
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6691922
By Myrtha C
Meanwhile, although not as popular as summer camping, winter camping can still be quite exciting and enjoyable. Because it is more challenging, more and more people seem to enjoy the thrill. Those who have tried it say that nothing is more rewarding than to be able to experience camping in the cold and enjoy its own advantages over summer camping.
Here are some advantages of winter camping:
No bugs and mosquito bites. This is the season where you will be able to camp bug free. Because during cooler weather, insects starts to hibernate thus you will no longer have to worry about ants crawling into the contents of your food or blood sucking mosquitoes.
Food Storage. Using your shovel you can make a storage cabinet for your food out of snow. This will help make your food last longer and keep it frozen.
No crowds. Because not all people enjoy camping in the cold it is the best time to experience solitude and tranquility with nature. You will no longer have to worry being rammed in like sardines. You also won't be bothered by inconsiderate fellow campers.
Cheaper campsite rates. Prices for campgrounds usually drop at certain non-peak months of the year especially during winter season. (redundant)
Gorgeous scenery. Winter camping offers a different kind of scenery and is quite alluring. Trees have already shed their leaves which make a great view to the starry skies. Frozen rivers and lakes offer ice-skating or ice-fisihing - always check campground office for safety precautions.,
More choices for campsites. Unlike during summer season where you have to book in advance to be able to get a spot in camping sites and rely on the description on a brochure, in winter camping that is no longer required. Often time, you can just turn up on the camping site right there and pick the best spot. Because the camp ground is relatively empty, there may even be enough space for you to do all your activities such as sledding and skiing.
Camp fires. A camping trip isn't complete without gazing into the stars around the camp fire while holding a mug of a hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows. If you think winter camping means no campfires, you are wrong. Many campground have campfire pits. Clear the snow out of the campfire pit, put some dried campfire wood, and you'll be enjoying a blazing fire on a crisp winter night. In fact, during peak season or summer season, some camp sites actually don't allow camp fires because of the risk of starting forest fire. But because crowds tend to disappear during winter season, rules are relaxed a bit.
Cozy nights. Keeping warm during the night is not really a problem in winter camping. As long as you have the right sleeping bag and gears, your nights would be shiver free and absolutely cozy. If you're the kind of person who finds it easier to bundle up in the cold, then cooling yourself in the hot humid summer, winter camping might be just for you.
For a free 28-page Campfire Recipe book, email camping_recipes@aweber.com
Watch VIDEOS of Camping how-to, tips, recipes, gear reviews at http://www.JoyofCamping.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Myrtha_C
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6691922
By Myrtha C
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