delphine
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Christchurch ▷
3.5/5
Affordable Motor Home do provide affordable campers.
It was the cheapest option we found even though we were late with booking and because of the Rankers reviews we didn't hesitate. Contact was very quick, easy and friendly prior to starting the trip.
We had a couple of issues:
1) the car that picked us up at the airport was too small and not set for 6 and it took quite a while to rearrange the seats, taking all the luggage out again and then back in so that we could all fit in
2) the barbecue we hired was handy as it had a big pan but very weak so unusable for quick grilling
3) the picnic table we hired was a 2 person table, we were 6! and very flimsy and annoying to put up
4) the battery providing power to the camper was not holding the charge so even when alternating 1 night free camping with 1 night powered site, with driving in between and charging with the solar panel, we still needed to turn on the engine to do the dishes at night or have a shower in the morning when free camping. It also meant we had to turn off the pump at the switch every time as when the battery was running low, the pump would not switch off anymore (or switch on when we were not using water) which would drain the battery even more
5) the windscreen wipers stopped working a couple of times for 5 minutes in heavy rain
All in all it was still an enjoyable experience, the camper was not new and we knew it, still not as old as some other campers that we had seen for hire. Problem 4 was the most annoying and I hope they have replaced the battery. Problem 5 was a potential disaster but we only had 1 day of rain in 3 weeks.
We really enjoyed the fact that they do not make you pay surplus for additional drivers, that it is a family business and they don't try to rip you off.
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Russell ▷
5.0/5
Tiny campsite with space for about 2 tents right on the beach.
The beach is beautiful with safe swimming and rocks to fish off. We arrived with the ferry and another party arrived with kayaks hired in Paihia. A truly peaceful spot.