Kea motorhomes add computers to fleet

New Zealand's top camping grounds are about to become wireless hot spots with Kea's latest fleet of motorhomes. Picture / Herald on Sunday

New Zealand campsites are getting wired as one of the country's largest motorhome companies introduces computers to its fleet.

Tourists travelling in Kea Campers' luxury four-berth motorhomes can now view their digital photos, burn them to CDs and watch DVDs on 38cm monitors along the way.

The setup will soon be enhanced when camping grounds on the main tourist trunk start providing wireless internet links on their sites, so Kea motorhome travellers can go online during their stay.

Next month, the Top 10 Holiday Park on Auckland's North Shore will become New Zealand's first camping ground "hotspot", with sites in Queenstown, Hanmer Springs, Christchurch and Rotorua to follow.

Kea launched the high-tech motorhome this week at New Zealand's largest tourism expo - Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand (Trenz) - in Christchurch.

Twenty-five vehicles with computers aboard are already on the road, and Kea is aiming to fit out most of its 100 luxury motorhomes by the end of the year.

Although motorhomes provided a popular way to "get away from it all", Kea Campers managing director Michael Becker said many tourists, particularly those who were self-employed, wanted computer access during their travels.

"We're seeing a trend today of backpackers travelling with their laptops.

"As much as people want the experience of nature New Zealand offers, they still want to be connected."

Becker said Kea was the first motorhome rental company to offer computers in its vehicles.

Although most campsites now had small internet rooms, Becker said he had not heard of camping grounds elsewhere in the world offering wireless internet links.

Kea Campers has joined forces with IT company Tech Plus to sign up camping grounds for wireless internet access.

Bernd Wartenberg, who manages the Top 10 Holiday Park, said the technology provided a new way for a camping grounds to communicate with its guests. After logging on to the internet, a homepage could greet them with information about the facilities.

Camp grounds could also work with local tourist operators to stream information on local attractions and special offers, which could then be booked online.

Wartenberg said the park would look at hiring DVDs or streaming movies to guests.

The North Shore hotspot, which will cover half the park initially, is scheduled to be up and running by the end of next month.