Travelling Europe by RV inspired Nicky and Dale McEntee to take up the lifestyle full-time. They bought a caravan, put their house up for rent, and didn’t look back.
Nicky and Dale grew up in Christchurch, and like many Kiwis, spent time camping in tents with their families and friends while young. In 2011, the couple headed to Europe for their big OE. Initially, they stuck to what they knew: backpacking and tent camping. However, after a not so summery summer in the UK, they realised there was a better way.
“We were working at a campsite in Northumberland,” explains Nicky. “It could be quite rainy and cold even in summer, and that, combined with seeing other campsite guests in their own motorhomes, got us thinking it would be a good option for us.”
They ended up buying a Holdsworth Fanfare Fiat Ducato (a 5-metre high top campervan) in the UK and travelled all over Europe with it for two and a half years, visiting over 24 countries and travelling just under 20,000 km. “The van was the perfect way for us to experience Europe in comfort while also being economical. We had the most amazing time and made so many great memories”.
After three years in Europe, Nicky and Dale sold the van and returned to New Zealand. For a while, they hung up the nomad boots and settled into a fairly normal life in Christchurch. But after a few years, the desire grew to once again travel and enjoy the freedom and excitement of life on the road.
“We loved living and travelling in our van in Europe, so it was always on our minds that it would be great to do something similar in New Zealand. In 2020, after lots of planning and research, we decided the time was right.” The two decided to rent out their home in Christchurch to live full-time on the road.
First, they had to find the right mobile home. With their European experience to draw from, the couple had a pretty good idea of what they were looking for, with a permanent bed being high up on the list: “In our UK campervan, we made the bed up every night, and we knew that we didn’t want to be doing that this time.”
Initially the pair were looking for a motorhome, but quickly realised that getting everything they wanted within their budget would be a challenge. A caravan seemed like the more affordable option, and were plenty to choose from within their budget.
After careful evaluation, Nicky and Dale bought a seven-metre 2010 Swift Freestyle 550 caravan, which they now call home. “After looking at many layouts, we decided that ideally, we wanted a fixed bed, separate seating area with table and an end bathroom. All of which we managed to achieve with the 2010 Swift Freestyle 550 caravan.”
Nicky and Dale spent the summer making a few shorter trips and getting themselves perfectly set up. By the end of summer, they were ready to go full-time. They packed up, rented out the house and headed north.
Since then, the two have been enjoying the freedom of life on the road and have explored many new parts of New Zealand, mainly on the North Island. “We both grew up on the South Island, so we were really excited to head north and explore places we had never been to before or hadn’t visited in a long time.”
Some of their favourite places so far have included Ngawi and Cape Palliser with its stunning coastal scenery and one of their favourite freedom camping spots. Whakatāne and Ohope Beach with their brilliant views of Whakaari/White Island and the Ngā Tapuwae o Toi Trail are also among their favorites, as is the Coromandel, especially Long Bay and Ray’s Rest. Northland is another area they really enjoyed exploring. “Lockdown and work commitments stopped us exploring all of Northland, but we enjoyed the culture, history, scenery and climate.
Some of our favourite spots include Te Waimate Mission, Kemp House, the Paihia to Opua walkway, Russell, Māngungu Mission, Waitangi and Whangaroa.”
Of course, living full-time in a caravan is not without its challenges. As Nicky says: “It took some time for us to find our groove and to get used to travelling together in the caravan, and also to get a good understanding of all the equipment.”
They also realised that going off-grid in winter can be a challenge and that they’d need to invest in an extra solar panel to make it work. Another aspect of life on the road they find challenging at times are the restrictions around freedom camping. “Sometimes, it’s restricted to very short stays only, as little as one day, and some sites are very unlevel and impractical for camping. It can make it hard to enjoy certain places.”
But the two have also found lots of camping spots – paid and free – they’ve really enjoyed. Among their favourites are the Ngawi foreshore freedom camp, the Rotorua (Ngongotahā) NZMCA park, the Long Bay camping ground in the Coromandel and the Gulf Harbour freedom camping spot in Auckland.
A bit of an insider tip from these two is the Castle Claremont Park over Property in Timaru with a unique historical home and an owner who is often happy to give a tour of the property.
With RV experience across Europe and New Zealand, Nicky and Dale have a few tips to share. “Our number one tip would be to do as much research as you can before setting off for full-time life on the road.” However, they also say that there is no substitute for experience and some things you can only learn once you start using your vehicle. So while preparation is important, at some point, you just have to go for it.
Both Nicky and Dale love being back on the road. They love the freedom it provides and that it allows them to spend quality time together. They are looking forward to exploring more parts of the country and enjoying the simple life. As Nicky says: “The travelling lifestyle has always impressed on me how little you need in order to be happy. You don’t need a big fancy house with lots of gadgets. What makes me happy is the experiences that are had with life on the road.”
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