RVING DOWN UNDER, NZ AND STOP OFF TAHITI
Finally we are on track to get one of our major bucket list items done but are seeking the experience from those of you that have maybe done this before us if you'd be kind enough to share.
We want to do a once in a lifetime trip (was originally slated for 2008 but went awry!) and being avid RVers that's our ideal mode of travel. Australia for 12 to 16 weeks; NZ South Island 3 to 4 weeks; NZ North Island 10days (would maybe consider couch surfing and car hire or AirBnB due to size and ferry crossing costs???). Tahiti = 3 days x 3 locations = Couchsurfing or AirBnB.
When we did the initial calculations for this whole 5 to 6 month it came out colossal $$$s, staying in Hotels on Tahiti and renting a self contained RV (not sure if capable for boon docking our preferred choice!) in Australia and another in Auckland NZ doing a full circle and ferry crossing (almost $1000 for both ways). In addition it appears that most "camper vans" don't even have bathroom facilities.
We have been reading some folks have done RV Exchanges between Canada and Europe and the USA and Europe and wonder if that would be an option for us, alas we have a 36ft Double Slide A Series here in Canada and the ones we found online in Aus' tend to be C series or smaller with few looking exchange from Aus/NZ to Canada for the most part.
Also they seem to not have the terminology of boon docking, moreso "freedom camping" or "Campervan camping", and again boon docking/dry camping etc seems to be far more restrictive if we are reading rightly compared to Canada and the USA with fines and warnings issued most often.
Can anyone share with us any really good websites/links/forums, advice/planning tips that might help keep our costs down, as well give us good guidance or somewhere to ask questions direct of those in the know. We definitely want to have a toilet and shower on board and reasonably good sized tanks, as well either a dual operational propane/ac fridge or ample solar/batteries/generator to run the fridge boon docking.
Can't seem to find anything remotely like the irv2; rvnet, escapees forums where we can ask these questions of locals.
Thanks in advance.
FTW.
PS: We've never done Airbnb or Couchsurfing ever either so that's a whole new ball game for us as well, just read many RVers do it when travelling overseas sans their RV and it aids their budgets hugely.
We want to do a once in a lifetime trip (was originally slated for 2008 but went awry!) and being avid RVers that's our ideal mode of travel. Australia for 12 to 16 weeks; NZ South Island 3 to 4 weeks; NZ North Island 10days (would maybe consider couch surfing and car hire or AirBnB due to size and ferry crossing costs???). Tahiti = 3 days x 3 locations = Couchsurfing or AirBnB.
When we did the initial calculations for this whole 5 to 6 month it came out colossal $$$s, staying in Hotels on Tahiti and renting a self contained RV (not sure if capable for boon docking our preferred choice!) in Australia and another in Auckland NZ doing a full circle and ferry crossing (almost $1000 for both ways). In addition it appears that most "camper vans" don't even have bathroom facilities.
We have been reading some folks have done RV Exchanges between Canada and Europe and the USA and Europe and wonder if that would be an option for us, alas we have a 36ft Double Slide A Series here in Canada and the ones we found online in Aus' tend to be C series or smaller with few looking exchange from Aus/NZ to Canada for the most part.
Also they seem to not have the terminology of boon docking, moreso "freedom camping" or "Campervan camping", and again boon docking/dry camping etc seems to be far more restrictive if we are reading rightly compared to Canada and the USA with fines and warnings issued most often.
Can anyone share with us any really good websites/links/forums, advice/planning tips that might help keep our costs down, as well give us good guidance or somewhere to ask questions direct of those in the know. We definitely want to have a toilet and shower on board and reasonably good sized tanks, as well either a dual operational propane/ac fridge or ample solar/batteries/generator to run the fridge boon docking.
Can't seem to find anything remotely like the irv2; rvnet, escapees forums where we can ask these questions of locals.
Thanks in advance.
FTW.
PS: We've never done Airbnb or Couchsurfing ever either so that's a whole new ball game for us as well, just read many RVers do it when travelling overseas sans their RV and it aids their budgets hugely.
