Burnie the Benz

After a freak warehouse fire last year causing my last motorhome to go up in flames, with the insurance money I introduce "Bernie" Having lapped the South Island 12 times over the last 5 years, I've found all the good camp sites, and the bad and prepared potential routes for your NZ getaway! With an online Google maps file with all my favourite spots; free camps, the best caravan parks, attractions, hikes and even the best bakeries. This can serve as a rough guide to you getting the most out of your holiday. Every marked location has a description and tips that only a local would know. Included are simple recipes that are perfect for vanlife. You don't want 20 dishes, nor do you have the luxury of infinite fridge space. But with smart meal selection you can save space in the fridge, leaving more space for beer or wine. A bbq/ pizza oven is included. Also a large high quality 'chilly bin' (cooler/ esky) that can accommodate for a few days food and drinks when used in combination with the fridge. This spacious van can accommodate up to 6 people (although there are 7 'beds') The top bunk is sized for a child, but works great as storage for luggage and ski gear. The other 2 bunks are slightly smaller than a single bed but very comfortable. As 6ft 105kg man, I've slept comfortably in the adult bunk beds. Although head room is at a minimum. The bunks have fixing point for a cargo net that will keep luggage on the beds while traveling, also doubling as a safety net to prevent children rolling out of bed. A double bed above the cab is my personal preference for sleeping with my partner because the table can stay setup, perfect for rolling out of bed and making a cuppa and soaking in the panoramic view in the lounge area. Or if you aren't as mobile, or need a few sneaky trips to the bathroom to get through the night and don't want to be dealing with climbing a ladder, it only takes a couple of minutes to change to lounge into a double bed. There is an option to relocate the comfy mattresses from the bunks to make a truly at 'home comfort level' sleeping arrangement. There is an additional table the can be used in the cab so you don't have to pack up the bed everyday. This is known as honeymoon mode 😉 Everything you need for cooking and a basic panty with oil, spices, sugar, tea, coffee, homemade granola, flour, whitikers chocolate (NZ classic) paper towel, toilet paper and dishwashing & laundry items are included in the service fee along with ample fresh linen and towels. We understand you don't want to spend up big at the supermarket for your short trip. I've set you up like I would family or friends visiting, you'll have discount cards for shopping, fuel and alcohol 🍻🥂 Also a liquid laundry card that is easy to top up, these laundromats can be found in almost every town and take 30 minutes for a wash. I've equipped the van with multiple hanging spots to hang or dry clothing that aren't made for the dryer - 10 USB Charging ports, 3 power points when plugged in at caravan parks. - A small fridge that which when used with the chilly bin provide ample space for a couple of days of supplies. - 2 burner gas stove with grill - Also has Bluetooth connectivity with speakers in the living section, which can run all night without flattening the starting battery 🎶 - Quality camping chairs and compact outdoor table, hammock and picnic blanket, frisbees, cards and board games. - Large chilly bin (esky/ cooler) with a crisper drawer allowing you to free up fridge space with a place to store cheese and fruit/ vege - Solar and batteries so you can getaway from the towns and soak up the South island beauty as its intended. Enough power for up to 2 days without any input - 2000w inverter, capable of running all your 240v (housepower) devices like laptops, electric toothbrush ect. And an fryer! All while off the grid - Hair dryer - A diesel heater that will keep you toasty at a push of a button, you can run it all day & night for those chilly winter times safely as there are no fumes, also super handy for helping to dry ski gear. - Gas hot water system. Press a button and 30 minutes later you'll have hot water to shower or do the dishes. - Separate tap fir filtered drinking water. - Wine rack & glasses 🥂 - 2 Roof vents and fans that help when cooking, and to move the hot air from heater about the van, even in rainy weather. Great for keeping cool in summer by Reversing the fans to pull cool air through the windows and hot air out. - Large awning to keep you dry and out of the sun, easy operation with setup in just a few minutes. - Reversing camera, with Android auto/ Apple car play to make navigation a breeze. - Dedicated laundry cupboard with 2 washing baskets with wetbags (you don't want your smelly clothes kicking around your bag!) - Convenient compost bin as well as large garage bin Additional items can be added to help make your trip more enjoyable, including: -2 person kayak (blow up but it works great even in the ocean) it only takes 10 minutes to setup -Garmin emergency beacon for hiking/ kayaking, giving satellite weather updates and sms, along with emergency medical/ rescue insurance. Although not currently provided, 2 child/ booster seats can be added the rear of the motorhome at an additional cost. Or you can provide your own at no cost, although they would have to be removed for the longue area to be used as a bed. * Inline with camplify & NZ government kms will be charged at 0.09 cents/km as diesel tax. To put this in perspective that's less than $200 every $700 in fuel (from a recent trip doing the 7+ day itinerary) *Bookings over 14 days will receive a 10% day rate discount. Please message me with the required dates and I can adjust the price accordingly *If you plan on going to the Clay cliffs, please discuss this with me as a strict 30km/hr speed limit (enforced by me and gps tracker) applies. Perfectly safe, just very rough on the van. It'll only take you 10-15 minutes longer but will look after Burnie! Happy holidaying 😊