An Experience You Will Remember Forever

A motorhome adventure immerses you in the heart of the landscape, offering ever-changing views and spontaneous encounters with locals that enrich every day on the road. Unlike the predictability of returning to the same beach apartment, this style of travel transforms each moment into a memorable experience, blending freedom, discovery, and genuine connection. If you want to stop to see something interesting, just stop. If you want to stay extra night somewhere cool, do it!

This flexibility makes it a holiday you’ll cherish long after the journey ends.

Freedom

Imagine spending time where you want, taking roads just because you want to see where they go and staying longer in places you are really enjoying.

Wake up and decide where to go today, no fixed itinerary to follow. Stay at caravan parks to use their facilities or utilise the freedom to pull up at one of the hundreds of beautiful national park campsites.

Adventure and Recreation in the Outdoors

They say that New Zealand is the Adventure Capital of the World: The Luge- whitewater rafting, cayoning, horse treks, skydiving, 4wd tours, quad bikes, tramping, mountain climbing, bungy jumping, zip-lining, hot-air balloons, kayaking – zorbing - the list goes on. You’ll find that wherever your New Zealand motorhome holiday takes you, you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to adventure activities where the emphasis is on your safety and an experience you'll never forget.

If something more sedate is your style then New Zealand can cater for that too. Our golf courses are spectacular and numerous, and green fees are affordable. Open beaches and secluded bays offer safe swimming and sunbathing. (beware of our high UV levels and be sure to use a good sunblock or cover up to protect your skin). Phenomenal walkways and cycling tracks abound.

Wining and dining is a pleasurable experience in New Zealand. Our wineries produce award-winning red and white wines and many incorporate elegant restaurants or lively cafés on their properties where you enjoy fine food with their product. Our Pacific Rim cuisine has fused inspiration from countries as varied as Europe, Thailand, Polynesia, Japan and Vietnam to create a range of flavours that is refreshing and light.

Great Value, Greater Fun

Motorhome holidays offer you great value. For the one daily price you get both accommodation and vehicle hire in one package. Save money on meals, by shopping in supermarkets rather than eating in restaurants every night. When you feel like a break, pull over into a nice grassy patch by a river, or on the side of the road and make a coffee, a sandwich or take a nap.

Campervans & Motorhomes come in all sizes up to a 6 berth (six beds), which is a perfect option for a group or family. Groups or couples can travel together and split the cost of the rental between them. Families can have a wonderful bonding experience, imagine sitting around and playing cards or monopoly at night together.

A morothome holiday provides you with many benefits including: freedom, adventure and value for money. It is an experience to share with the family, with friends and with others out there on the road.

Book Early!

The best tip we can give you is to book early. That means for the high season (November to February) and school holidays, you should book about 6 – 9 months prior to your desired hire start. Booking your motorhome holiday early means that you have more time to plan and organise your trip. The knowledge that you have secured transportation and accommodation will put your mind at ease which will allow you to avoid the stress that is normally associated with holiday plans.

Other advantages of booking early include:

• A higher likelihood of getting the vehicle you want or need. The motorhomes often book out, especially for 4 and 6 berths.
• Booking early usually means that you will get the best price available. Prices generally increase the closer you get to the date of departure. Some companies have “Early Bird” specials which give a very attractive discount.

If you do leave it to the last minute, don't lose hope! You may get lucky and still find a great deal. Contact us to find out if there is still anything available!

Beware using your Overseas Credit Cards

When collecting your motorhome, keep in mind that security bonds will be taken out at the depot. This amount will essentially depend on which insurance option you choose to take out. This process is done through your credit card. In theory, this process should cost nothing, except that banks take money from a foreign credit card at one rate, and refund the money at a lower rate. In practise this process costs 3 to 5 cents in the dollar (typically). So on a $5000 bond, it may cost you an extra $250 or more if the rates move against you while you are on your rental.

Taking an “All Inclusive” type package, where the bond is zero, gets around this issue. These may be worth considering instead of losing badly to the exchange rate refunds (and the way banks work).

Be Mindful of Peak Rental Times

Motorhome rentals do have high seasons/peak rental periods. The rates in the low season (May to September) are half the price or lower than the high season rates. Even the shoulder seasons (October to about mid-November and March to April) are often significantly lower than high season rates. Also the weather in November and March is still very nice, not as hot as December to January/February but you still get lots of long warm sunny days. Some companies have recently started to lift their rates for the school holiday breaks that occur throughout the year, and these are also busy times for motorhome rentals. So school holiday dates are also a good time to avoid if you want to keep the costs down.

You might be wondering, what’s the difference between a Campervan and a Motorhome?

We’re glad you asked.

Campervan vs Motorhome: Key Distinctions

Summary

• Campervans are smaller vehicles—often converted vans—designed for basic camping needs, prioritizing compactness and ease of driving. They usually have fewer amenities, may or may not have a shower or toilet and a smaller cab and living space. Can accommodate from 1 to 4 Berths. Generally, cheaper to hire than a motorhome.
• Motorhomes are larger, purpose-built vehicles with more home-like features, either with separate or intergrated living and dining areas, full kitchen and bathroom facilities, and greater comfort for extended travel or larger groups, accommodating up to 6 Berths. Generally, more expensive to hire than a campervan.

Choosing between the two depends on your travel style, the number of people, and the level of comfort you desire.

Campervans or Motorhomes are categorised in berths or in simple terms how many people they can sleep comfortably. The other important points are the aged of the motorhomes, the vehicle specifications and the price. All of the motorhomes details and features can be viewed and compared on our website.

The elite motorhomes and campervans are guaranteed under 1 year old, and luxury/premium motorhomes and campervans are generally under 2-2.5 years old. Mid-range vehicles can range from 2.5 to 5 years, whilst the budget vehicles are 5+ years. The specific age of the vehicle can be viewed on the website. All of the motorhomes undergo strict and scheduled maintentence and cleaning each time they are returned.

Useful Motorhome Terminology

Campervans: are smaller vehicles—often converted vans—designed for basic camping needs, prioritizing compactness and ease of driving. They usually have fewer amenities, may or may not have a shower or toilet and a smaller cab and living space. Can accommodate from 1 to 4 Berths. Generally, cheaper to hire than a motorhome.

Motorhomes: are larger, purpose-built vehicles with more home-like features, either with separate or intergrated living and dining areas, full kitchen and bathroom facilities, and greater comfort for extended travel or larger groups, accommodating up to 6 Berths. Generally, more expensive to hire than a campervan.

Deposit - When you make a campervan hire booking you we will debit a sum of money to secure your campervan. This sum is the booking deposit, and is a percentage of the total amount to be paid. The deposit will be between 15 – 25%. If the camper van hire starts within 30 days, some companies require us to take the full 100%. This information can be found on each motorhomes webpage.

Depot - A depot is the base for the campervan rental companies. Typically each company has a number of depots around the country, and these are where you pick up and drop off your campervan from. Most companies depots are in Auckland in the North Island and Christchurch in the South Island.

Berth - This refers to the number of people the vehicle is able to sleep, eg, a two berth hire campervan can sleep two people. It does not refer to how many beds are in the vehicle, as a two berth vehicle could contain one double bed.

Bond - This is a specified amount of money paid by the hirer to the campervan hire company in case of an accident or accidental damage. This is refunded at the end of the rental period provided there have been no incidents or accidents.

Calendar Days - Campervan Rental is based on calendar days, which means the day off pick up and the day of drop off are included as a full day of rental, regardless of the time of day the pick up or drop off is made. So if the pick up is made at 4 pm, then the day is still counted as a full day.

Baby Seat - Baby Seats are for children aged 6 months to 3 years, (weighing 8 to 18 kilos). They are an external accessory manually fitted into the car, the requirement of which needs to be specified when making a booking.

Booster Seat - Similar to baby seats, these are for children aged 3 to 8 years (weighing 14 to 28 kilos).

Flex Rates - These are rates that change every week, ie 'flexible' rates. Generally speaking the closer you get to the pickup date, the higher the rates will be. The rate of the first day of your travel will apply to the whole duration of your travel.

Standard Rates - These rates do not change every week, they are set at the start of the year and remain at that rate for the duration of the season. If you cross over a change of season the rate you are paying will change too. It depends on the motorhome hire supplier whether they offer standard or flex rates.

Government taxes – GST  (Goods and Services Tax) is included in the daily campervan hire rate. Diesel levy is tax the Government charges users of diesel vehicles. Some motorhome rental companies pass this tax on to the hirers of their vehicles. (This only applies to the diesel powered vehicles). This charge is based on the number of kilometers driven.

One Way Travel - Often people wish to pick up a campervan in one destination, then drive to another destination and drop it off there. This is 'one way travel', as it doesn’t involve a return trip.

Caravan Park - Campervan travellers normally spend lots of time in caravan parks. They are tourist-oriented resort locations where you can park up your hire campervan and plug it into electricity. There are other types of accommodation available on the same site, from camping to cabins to motel style accommodation. Laundry and kitchen facilities are normally provided, as are ablution blocks. Some have swimming pools and games rooms, and all are reasonably priced.

Holiday Park and Tourist Park - There is very little distinction between these type of resort parks and caravan parks. All are reasonable and accommodating places to enjoy your campervan holiday in.

National Park - A National Park is an area of land that the government has declared ownership off. It is protected by the government from human development, and is normally an area of natural beauty or attraction.

Battery System - The internal appliances of most campervans run on a battery system that is separate from the engine battery. These batteries recharge when you drive, and when plugged into mains power.

Transmission - This is the gear changing system of the car. It is either automatic, whereby the car changes gears for you, or manual, where the gear changing is done by the driver, or tiptronic which gives you a choice of manual or automatic.

Wastewater: Wastewater containing human waste from toilets and sometimes kitchen sinks.

Insurance Terminology:

Full or Comprehensive Insurance - These are insurance policies with a broad range of cover. You are covered by the insurance whether you are in the right or the wrong, or whether the damage was caused by an unknown party or an 'act of God'.

Excess - When you are insured and you make a claim on your insurance, you will still have to pay the first part of that claim yourself. That amount you pay is the excess, and its amount depends on the excess options you take.

Excess Reduction - This is an amount of cash you pay each day that reduces the excess you have to pay in the event of an accident in your motorhome rental. The excess reduction you pay and the amount it reduces off your excess depends on the supplier.

Standard Liability - the standard liability amount is taken as a bond off your credit card at the start of travel, and is held for the duration of travel until the campervan rental is safely returned.

Third party - The third party is any other entity involved in an incident. So for example if you have an accident whereby you drive into the back of another vehicle, that vehicle is the third party. Third Party Insurance covers the costs that may be incurred by a third party as a result of your actions.

Demurrage - This is the monetary loss incurred by a supplier when their camper van is taken off the road as the result of an accident. The person who causes the accident is liable for demurrage.

Surcharge - this an additional sum added to a usual amount or cost.

Yes - between all company branch depots one-way rentals are permitted, but a minimum number of days usually applies. Each company has different minimum day requirements, and any surcharges will show on your quote if applicable.

Child Restraint Regulations in New Zealand

Legal Requirements

• Children under 7 years: Must be correctly secured in an approved child restraint suitable for their age, size, and development. This law applies in all vehicles, including motorhomes and campervans.
• Aged 7 to 8: Must use an approved restraint if one is available in the vehicle; if not, they must use any child restraint or seatbelt available.
• Aged 8 to 14: Must use seatbelts if available; otherwise, they must travel in the back seat.
• Over 14: Must use seatbelts as adults.

Driver Responsibility: The driver is legally responsible for ensuring all children under 7 are properly restrained.

Best Practice: Keeping a child in a restraint until they reach 148cm in height is recommended, even if they're older, for optimal safety.

Regulations Specific to Motorhomes

• All motorhomes and campervans must comply with New Zealand’s child restraint laws when children are passengers. The same minimum standards apply as in any private car.
• Installation limitations: Child restraints can only be fitted in positions where there are appropriate anchor points and proper seatbelts (usually only on forward-facing rear seats, not side- or rear-facing seats).
• Front seats: It is not illegal for a child in a restraint to sit in the front, but it is generally not recommended due to airbags and safety concerns.
• Check before booking: Not all motorhomes have the correct anchor points for certain child seats, so confirm with the rental supplier if you need to install child restraints.

Approved Standards for Child Restraints

Only seats meeting New Zealand standards can be used, including those with:

• A "tick" mark (Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754)
• An "E" mark (European Standard ECE 44 or ECE 129)
• US Standard FMVSS 213 (with NZ certification ‘S’ mark)

Types of Child and Baby Seats

General recommendations:

• Keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible—ideally until at least age 2 or older.
• Use a booster seat until the seatbelt fits correctly (lap belt across thighs, shoulder belt on shoulder, not neck).
• Only move to a seatbelt without booster when the child is at least 148cm tall.

Key Points for Motorhomes

• Only use child/baby seats in seats with full seatbelts and approved anchor points.
• Sideways- and rear-facing seats in large motorhomes cannot accommodate child restraints.
• It is generally safest for children to be secured in the rear, forward-facing seats.
• Always double-check your specific rental motorhome’s restraint options before booking, as not all models can safely accommodate all types of seats.

Summary Table: Child Restraint Requirements

Adhering to these rules not only meets legal requirements but ensures the highest level of safety for children traveling in any vehicle, including motorhomes, throughout New Zealand.

Click on General Terms and Conditions, to see the general T&C's.

Click on Features to see the specific features of that motorhome.

Click on SEE ALL CHARGES AND INSURANCE OPTIONS, you will see the Optional Equipment available to hire from that motorhome supplier and Extra charges not included in the daily rate.

Starter Packs (or Welcome Packs) are available with most of the rental motorhomes we offer. The contents of the Starter Pack will vary from company to company. The more upmarket/expensive motorhomes may have more in the Starter Pack. By definition a Starter Pack contains everything you need to get started such as some sachets of tea, coffee & sugar, a regional map and an activities guide. To find out more information, on a motorhome's web page, look under the heading "Daily Hire Rental Rate Includes".

Yes. When submitting your booking request you enter your credit card details on our secure website via the Paystation payments system. We accept Mastercard or Visa Card. For alternative payment options, please email us directly and we can outline the best option for your situation.

We do not charge you a Merchant Credit card fee for booking deposits.

Yes – on each motorhomes webpage.

Each motorhome page initially shows a a few images (to ensure the page loads quickly) but click on show more images to see more or all.