The Camper Life

With today's blog post, we would like to tell you a few stories about camper life. After being on the road with the Smurfmobile for about 3 weeks now, there is a lot to tell.

First, let's talk about the often mentioned Smurfmobile. The converted Toyota van is 5.4 meters long and 2.9 meters high. Although it's a bit bigger than a Honda Jazz, it's still very easy to drive.

But why choose a Smurfmobile when you could have used a car and stayed in motels/hotels? The reason is that we have come to appreciate the flexibility of a camper from our previous trips. And since it's currently low season in New Zealand, we haven't had to book a campsite except for one exception. This allows us to take the daily stages as it suits us, without following a strict plan.

The Smurfmobile is designed to accommodate 4 people. Depending on the layout, it's almost a 3-room apartment. Entrance area, kitchen, living/sleeping area. So basically everything you need. The only thing missing is a toilet. So at night, it's either bladder training or going out into the dark, cold night to the campground toilets.

Another advantage of this 4-person camper is that we also got bedding for 4 people. In the basic equipment, there were two cozy and warm double blankets included. And since we have a "blanket anarchy" in our bed, it was quickly clear that both double blankets would be put to use. So our sleeping place consists mostly of blankets, which had its advantages in the cold nights. Especially on the South Island, we had some very cold nights. That's why we were very happy about the small electric heater. We used it to warm up our clothes before getting up. Many people might call us "softies" for that. We proudly agree 100% ;-).

Now a few words about the equipment of the Smurfmobile. We have a very good car radio. But if we couldn't connect our smartphone, this music system wouldn't be of much use. Because especially on the sparsely populated South Island, we hardly ever had radio reception. And when we did have reception, the radio program was a mixture of SRF2 cultural discussions, hits from the Radio Sunshine jukebox, and advertising blocks from Radio Pilatus. Well... So we either enjoyed the sound of our Smurfmobile's engine and tires or our smartphone playlist in a loop. (Editor's note: The Billag fee and the SRF3 radio station are now more appreciated again).

In addition to the car radio, we also have some other practical interior installations. For example, a large refrigerator where everything essential finds its place. Specifically, cold beer, white wine, TimTams, meat... and yes, of course, a bit of greens too ;-). Furthermore, we have a microwave, but it mainly serves as a bread basket. We also have LED interior lighting. However, due to the bright white light, it reminds more of a dentist's office than a cozy room.

In a previous blog post, I already complained about the lack of mixed faucets. Since we Swiss are known as chronic complainers and we can't complain about the weather or nature here in New Zealand, I would like to officially vent my frustration about the sanitary facilities of the New Zealand campgrounds (with a slight undertone of sarcasm, of course). If you only considered the height of the shower heads, you would think that here in New Zealand (also known as "Middle Earth"), only dwarves and trolls live. But the showers are not the only nuisance. The toilets and the available toilet paper do not meet Swiss standards. The New Zealand toilet paper has a thickness of a perceived micrometer. That means you have to unroll about two meters of paper before you can... you know what...

Another small annoyance here in New Zealand is the sandflies (Latin "Psychodomorpha" or simply "damn little buggers" in Swiss German). These small, daytime-active mosquitoes were almost everywhere on the West Coast of the South Island. The bites felt like bee stings, just that they itched a bit longer and remained red for days. As optimists, we consider these bites as souvenirs, of course.

In the next few days, the next blog post will follow. We will report to you from the southern part of the North Island. We have already experienced several beautiful things here too, so you can be curious.