We last stayed at Kaiteriteri Beach around fifteen years, catching up with friends from my university days. It was busy back then and, despite the absence of overseas tourists, it still is. Then, we stayed in a modest holiday home which adjoined the bustling campground. This time we rolled up in our brand new campervan.

Well “brand new” is maybe a little misleading – its 22 years old, but nevertheless a new experience for us. We had been talking about buying a camper for months and after much faffing around and endless visits to Trademe we decided to take the plunge – going for a Toyota Hiace selling in Auckland. Actually it’s a LWB and HT (campervan techo for “long wheelbase” and “high top”) which makes it roomier and with enough headroom to stand up inside. Max, the seller, had been running a small campervan hire business which had taken a Covid nose-dive and so, sadly for him, all his campers were up for sale.

New Zealanders have found a new love affair with caravanning and campervanning in our own backyard. Which just goes to show how Covid is often rebalancing the world rather than taking away what we once had. Sales have skyrocketed now that Aus and Bali are off limits.

Anyway, back to our first destination – Kaiteriteri, a popular beach holiday destination on the top of New Zealand’s South Island. Home to just over 300 permanent residents and of course swelling to many thousand over the summer holiday period. Its economy is highly tourist dependent, being close to the start of the Abel Tasman National Park. The bay is full of sightseeing boats and water taxis of all shapes and sizes – my favourite was the “coffee cruiser” which looked more like a box with a deck as it bobbed disconcertingly in the morning chop.

​The weather and water temperature were sublime. We have not had a great Wellington summer and so being able to swim in the crystal clear waters without freezing your ass off and the absence of the ever present Wellington wind was marvellous. Kaiteriteri beach is nestled between two outcrops, both accessible by walks. Kaka Pah Point is at the northern end – a place of cultural significance to Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa, the mana whenua iwi of Kaiteriteri. There are Pohutukawa and Eucalyptus in abundance and at the top of the walk you are rewarded with drop dead stunning views – Kaiteriteri beach to one side and Honeymoon and Breaker Bays to the other.

As proud as we were with our new campervan, we were dwarfed by many of the big beasts at the campground. There were some truly enormous vehicles, many with outbuildings – separate awnings with outdoor table and chairs, gas heaters, pot plants and even one portable rotary clothesline (Brabantia Lift-O-Matic, $299 at the Warehouse for anyone interested). We gossiped with our neighbour Katerina who has rented her house in Christchurch and taken to the road with her four year old son in a camper of similar vintage to ours – making her living as an online graphic designer.

Our daughter Vivien turned up on our third day – she has been “Woofing” (Working on organic farms) in the Tasman area for the last few weeks. And when Mum and Dad turned up that was just too good an opportunity to miss . . . So Viv is going to join us for a few days of our South Island adventure starting with our next destination – Mārahau.