Travelling by motorhome is the ultimate way to go camping, though you need plenty of space to park when you get there. Photo / Supplied
Travelling by motorhome is the ultimate way to go camping, though you need plenty of space to park when you get there. Photo / Supplied
Shandelle Battersby roughs it, Auckland-style, in a luxury motorhome for a weekend.
You know that scene in Meet the Fockers when Robert De Niro's character Jack pulls up in his huge RV and announces he's driving everyone to Miami and Pam's and Gaylord's eyes pop out of their heads? Well, that was me and a friend a few weekends ago when we arrived at TrailLite in Pukekohe to borrow a motorhome for the weekend to give "life off the grid" a go. That is, if parking up in a luxury self-contained vehicle with more bells and whistles than a bell-and-whistle shop really qualifies as "off-the-grid".
While the Oakura 554 wasn't as big as Captain Jack's ride, at 8m long and 3.1m high she was still a daunting sight (I immediately nicknamed her Big Bertha), but she's not even the biggest of the vehicles TrailLite sells - some are so large you need a truck licence to drive them. We were fine with just a regular car licence.
We got a quick rundown of the motorhome, and by quick, I mean it took over an hour. A proper handover takes all day. That's because there's a hell of a lot to remember, from how to turn the gas on, to filling up the water tank, to operating the (many) window shades, to - most complicated of all - using an actual compass to get the satellite dish into position so you can watch the telly.
Large vehicles require extra care on the road and a whole different approach to driving as we were to find out on our weekend break on the beautiful Awhitu Peninsula.
We made it out of Pukekohe with no trouble and set off slowly northwest to the Manukau Heads. With its coastal views out each window, rolling green valleys, quaint settlements and rural lifestyle blocks, this is a part of the Auckland region that seems light years away from the rest.
Campervans are meant to travel at no more than 90km/h and we averaged an easy 80km/h, though it weirdly felt like we were cruising along at 50km/h.
One bonus is being up really high with a great view of the road and the scenery you're driving through, but this is definitely a different way to drive a vehicle - you have to be extra aware of anything behind you; roundabouts and tight turns require delicate negotiation; missed turn-offs can result in 10-point turns. You have to look for really big parking spaces - sometimes two - and be careful how you pull into them because you have a seriously big butt.
Some motorhomes are so large you need a truck licence to drive them. Photo / Supplied
But Bertha turned out to be very comfortable and a breeze to operate, and we were soon waving at our fellow road-users and generally having a great time. It was easy to forget she was 8m-long because she was so smooth, although she did bounce around a bit at the back.
We decided to spend one night in a powered campsite, the other freedom camping and it was good to try both.
The Big Bay Holiday Park, 40 minutes from Waiuku, is a rustic, simple spot close to a lovely beach across the Manukau Harbour from Huia and Laingholm. You're oriented - and realise just how close to Auckland you actually are - by the tiny Sky Tower to the northeast and the airport to the east.
When Bertha rolled in to the holiday park we turned a few heads. With a bit of reversing (cue loud beeping) we got into our site, plugged her in, erected our large awning, got out our flash outdoor chairs from the storage area at the back, cracked a couple of cold beers from our big fridge, and took a load off. The Jafas have landed.
We could have used the campground kitchen - or even its wood-fired pizza oven - but chose to make pasta on our stove, do the dishes in our sink, then watched a DVD on our telly. But we did use the site's facilities instead of our chemical loo and shower (200 litres of water should have been enough for two nights but we weren't taking any risks) before hitting the sack - one in the big double bed at the back, the other in the converted lounge.
The next day we went back to the Big Smoke (Waiuku) and stocked up on a few things then popped over to the west coast of the peninsula to the black sands and wild surf of Karioitahi Beach.
After lunch at Castaways, we drove Big B east again to the Peninsula campground in Awhitu Regional Park, a couple of minutes' walk from picturesque Kauritutahi Beach, which we had almost to ourselves.
With just a long-drop loo, a tap and a wood-fired barbecue for facilities, this is really where a motorhome comes into its own.
We could have a shower, cook inside, watch telly, listen to music and, best of all, stay warm and dry while the only other poor sods in the campground got soaked in their tent when the weather blew up wet and wild overnight.
There are a few disadvantages. Chemical toilets are not good times, though they beat peeing in a bush. And if you need a litre of milk, you can't just jump in the car and double-park outside the nearest dairy due to the van's size.
But the real winner here is going on holiday almost anywhere you can drive to, and having all the comforts of home along for the ride.
• Check what the vehicle carries before you pick it up. We forgot to bring a torch, which we really needed at the regional campground, and we wished we'd packed a USB cord for the iPod.
• Remember to go wide around corners or you might take out a parked car, fence or worse, a pedestrian or three.
• Firmly latch all the vents and windows and secure loose items before hitting the highway or you might lose them.
• Take your time and be courteous of other traffic.
