Jason & Sally Waimate: South Island road trip experts

For this month’s member story, we caught up with Waimate locals, Jason and Sally, to hear about their favourite South Island road-trips. Jason and Sally share with us their local South Island knowledge, including some of the best free overnight stays along the east coast!

What about camping and the outdoors are you most passionate about?

We can’t think of anything better than sitting outside, with a glass of red wine and looking up at the stars. We are so lucky in South Canterbury to have numerous places to go to get away from the daily hustle and bustle. From previously working in London, moving to South Canterbury and having the wide-open spaces on our doorstep is just amazing.

How did your motorhome journey start?

Well, Zeffer has been a long while coming, but we couldn’t have picked a better first van for us! It's been the perfect size for us to use, and more importantly, share with others. We looked multiple times but between timing, financial or other commitments, we weren’t able to make the final step to owning our own home on wheels, until now.

You’ve just listed your new motorhome on Camplify. How’s it all going?

It’s been a very exciting time! We had our first booking within a couple of days going live. We have also started the ‘Better Getaways’ Facebook site and have seen some pretty positive responses so far - our first couple of posts had 5621 views. Part of our decision behind buying Zeffer was the idea that people can fly direct from Wellington to Timaru, we can meet them at the airport and they could be off on an amazing adventure. So far it’s all going pretty smoothly!

What are your favourite road trip destinations starting from Timaru?

Our favourite road trip would be to the Mackenzie country. From the airport, it is an easy 45-minute drive to the town of Fairlie, which is the gateway to the Mackenzie country, featuring Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook and Twizel. We always tell our hirers that when they reach Fairlie they must visit the best pie shop in the country - the Fairlie Bakehouse. In Fairlie, you can refuel before driving another 45 minutes to Geraldine with its unique collection of shops and eateries. Geraldine has a number of places to stay but our pick would be Peel Forest. Peel Forest has a number of short and long walks which cater to everyone’s level of fitness. You can also go fishing, horse riding and at night you may be lucky enough to see a peka peka.

Another great route from Fairlie is to the scenic Lake Tekapo and the world-famous Church of the Good Shepherd. It’s an easy half-hour drive from Fairlie and depending on the time of year the area is a buzz with colour from thousands of lupins. You have the choice to relax in the Tekapo hot pools or take a trip up to the Mt John Observatory. There is a night tour that leaves by bus from Tekapo that is simply stunning. another 30 minutes up the road and look at Aoraki Mt Cook at the end of Lake Pukaki. Here you can stay in the car park overnight for free.

The next day you have two choices, go left into Twizel where you can go Salmon fishing or head right and enjoy the campsite at Lake Ruataniwha. You can also drive up to the Alpine village of Lake Ohau and enjoy some amazing lake views - there’s even another free campsite you can stay at. If you decide to turn right, it’s a two-hour drive to Mount Cook Village, where you can go see Glaciers, the Sir Edmund Hillary Museum or go on some of the DOC walks. We also recommend looking out for the Hooker Valley walk!

The choices of road trips are endless, Queenstown and Wanka is only about 3 hours drive away, so is Dunedin, and Central Otago. From Wanaka, it is a few hours drive through the truly stunning Haast pass and you are on the West Coast ready to visit Fox and Franz Glacier. That’s not even mentioning further south the Catlins and Te Anau, as we say the choices are endless.

Where’s next on your family bucket list?

For us, our next big road trip will be from our home in Waimate, up the east coast of the South Island and around to Picton where we will catch the Ferry to Wellington. We’ve been trying to entice so many people from Wellington to come see our backyard, so we feel it’s only right we go see theirs. On our way up we plan on stopping in at Hanmer Springs to visit the local hot pools, then on to Kaikoura for a spot of whale watching. We might even slip in a day to sample some of the great wines of the Marlborough district. This route gives you a great taste of the South Island’s east coast and would make a great trip for anyone visiting from Wellington.

Any advice for first-time campers?

Take your time and ask questions, we have all been through it and sometimes the biggest problems are the easiest ones to solve (if you know the answers).

Caravan or motorhome?

Motorhome for sure, how do you even start a caravan?

Why do you think motorhomes are proving so popular?

Motorhomes are so functional and freeing! You can take them anywhere, be it on-road or off-road. Particularly in New Zealand where everything is so closeby. Take the South Canterbury region as an example. From Timaru, you could take the motorhome surfing in the morning and by lunchtime drive up to the ski fields! Honestly, the choices of road trips are endless!

What song is at the top of your road trip playlist?

Anything by Queen

If reading about Jason and Sally's South Island road trip has got you daydreaming about your next trip away, you can book their van here and take off on the ultimate10 day south island new zealand road trip. Or perhaps you’ve got your own van and considering sharing with others - find out more here.