Christchurch Part 2 (this time with a van or without)

Back in Christchurch, we stayed in the hostel for one more night, as you already know. We both wanted to have a warm shower and a proper bed before getting into the van. However, we weren't really impressed with the second hostel, the YHA Christchurch Rolleston, in Christchurch. The next day, we took the time to sleep in until 10 am when we had to check out. But we were still allowed to use the hostel. So, we took the opportunity to do some laundry. Neither of us had any idea what to expect at the campsites. In the afternoon, we found a large parking lot where we were alone and had plenty of space to check the inventory of the van. We didn't know what all we actually bought. Among other things: a fishing rod, a yoga mat, unfilled travel journals, fairy lights in the van, blankets, blankets, blankets, and all sorts of camping equipment. That's just a small sample of what the inventory list has to offer.

After the van was packed again, and we quickly went shopping and refueled, we headed to our first booked campsite, the Godley Head Campsite, about half an hour south of the Christchurch City Centre. At the campsite, which cost $13, we had a glorious view of Christchurch and on the other side of Banks Peninsula.

So we enjoyed our first evening, settled into the van, and had a good first night. The next morning, we set about refilling tanks and the like, but were unintentionally interrupted. When trying to leave the water station at the campsite, the van wouldn't start, and this was on the third day. We were both very annoyed. As a first attempt, with the help of a vehicle from the Department of Conservation (DoC), we tried to tow the van. But that failed. Thankfully, he helped us get onto more solid ground. We then made a second attempt, thanks to the help of the campsite caretaker. He tried to jumpstart our van with his. But that also failed. So, our last chance was to call the AA Roadservice (comparable to the German ADAC). Thanks to an ADAC membership, we were spared the $195 cost (a big shout-out to ADAC and its partnerships). They managed to get the van running, but we had to go directly to the city to have a new starter installed at the nearest workshop. So, we didn't get a second consecutive night in the van, instead, we went back to the hostel. A great start to camping time.

That was a quick loss of $360. After the night in the hostel, luckily we were able to pick up our van from the workshop the next morning. We spent the rest of the day in the city but went back to the same campsite as two nights before, where we spent a relaxing night. In the morning, I went for my first jog along the coastal trail. During the day, we spent time in the city, including the beach and the Canterbury Museum (interesting for the history of New Zealand, but not much else, still worth a visit as it's free), and also did a big shopping trip at the Warehouse (similar to a home improvement store, but you can really get everything here!). In the evening, we returned to the campsite because we liked it so much. That's where I am now, writing this post in the van.

Tomorrow, we are heading to Dunedin for the first part of our road trip. Along the way, we will definitely take in Banks Peninsula first. It's a large peninsula with stunning nature and a charming town (according to the travel guide). So, look forward to the next report, where I'll tell you what it was really like there and how far we've come.

Until then,

Your Luca