The old adage of ‘two’s company and three’s a crowd’ is definitely not the case for Nigel and Sandra Mead. The experienced motorhome travellers enjoy life on the road, accompanied by their beloved dog. Lisa Potter finds out more.
With the sad loss of their precious miniature schnauzer Dusky at the impressive age of almost 15 years, the newest addition (and third mate) to their travels now is a tiny ball of fluff called Pearl, who’s slowly learning the ins and out of life on the road.
The adventurous trio are currently making their way from the Waikato – where they volunteered for the NZMCA at the recent Hamilton Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show – to Wellington for their son’s 50th birthday, before embarking on a tour around the central North Island with a group of fellow NZMCA members.
It’s a lifestyle the pair embrace as much as they can, and while Gisborne is their much-loved home base, Nigel and Sandra keep fastidious records of their travels and have averaged around 100 days a year on the road annually for the past 12 years.
Early beginnings
Originally, their explorations of New Zealand took place along the coast, as the self-confessed trailer sailors spent their early years on the water in a variety of boats.
However, since making the switch to a motorhome 13 years ago, they’ve had no regrets and are part of a thriving and supportive community of fellow travellers.
“When we got Dusky 15 years ago, we took her everywhere with us. We just plan our travels around dog-friendly campsites and locations,” says Sandra.
“Over the years, there are more and more places that cater to people travelling with pets and it’s really not complicated at all.”
Having a dog on board has only caused them a few minor restrictions: it prevents them from staying at most DOC sites and also from attending meetings for Miranda Bird Sanctuary, of which they have been avid supporters for more than a decade.
“We have supported the birds flights there, but because we have always had Dusky with us, and now Pearl, we have to keep up with the migrations online, rather than visiting in person. That’s probably the only place we’d like to visit, which we can’t with a dog.”
Throughout their 58 years together, the couple has always had a dog as part of their family. In fact, this love of canines has rubbed off on other family members – their daughter Claire is a professional dog trainer based in Cambridge.
The RV life
Right: It’s a hard life, isn’t it Pearl?
Now enjoying their fourth motorhome since 2011, their 2021 Dethleffs Trend perfectly suits their requirements.
“Each time we’ve upgraded our motorhome, we’ve improved on the facilities we’ve discovered we enjoy when travelling. We’ve had this one for four years, and it works really well for us.”
Light and airy, the motorhome is a lovely space that offers plenty of configurations for spending long spells of time travelling.
“We like having a middle door also so we can pop Pearl into either the front or back depending on whether it’s bedtime or guest time. She’s slowly learning the rules of being in a motorhome and seems to love her adventures and meeting new people.”
As do Nigel and Sandra. The couple has an enormous circle of friends, many of whom share their love of travelling.
“We often go on trips with a group of others, all in our own motorhomes.”
A touch of history
Nigel’s passion for the RV lifestyle was sparked early on when they purchased their first motorhome and joined NZMCA. He was part of the original group who banded together to painstakingly restore REO No1 – the 1928 REO Speed Wagon, which once belonged to NZMCA founders Andy and Gladys Anderson.
“I didn’t bring specific trade skills such as mechanical ability or welding talent,” says Nigel, “but I did spend many hours sourcing authentic parts and accessories to finish REO and see her kitted out in pieces true to the era, including a full workshop manual for it, which was quite a find.”
The experience was hugely satisfying, and Nigel’s (and Sandra’s) involvement continues with this eye-catching piece of history, as they regularly volunteer to show people through it and share its history when it’s displayed at events.
“We still have people kindly offering to donate and gift items for REO,” he says. “Just recently someone gave us a 1920s wallet full of the original fishing flies to display with our fishing rods in there.”
Fresh adventures
Although this original circle of friends remains important, Nigel and Sandra also love the variety of people they meet on their travels.
“Often it’s because we have a dog that we’re able to strike up conversations with people – a lot of them definitely come about due to having a Dusky and now Pearl with us and we’ve met some lovely people.”
While Pearl is still just a few months old, she has been quick to adapt to her travelling lifestyle. Her sleeping quarters are a crate, which she loves snuggling up in and which also gives her some quiet space when life gets too exciting with lots of visitors.
She’s quite accustomed to being on a lead and is happy to explore all new destinations with Nigel and Sandra.
“Dusky was always happy to wait in the van for us to come back wherever we parked, and Pearly is learning this, too.”
Over their years of being accompanied by a dog, one of their main hints to other dog owners in an RV is to make sure the dog is securely fastened in the motorhome or caravan when travelling.
This makes them less nervous (alongside their humans).
“No one wants a dog missile shooting out at 90km/hour as you’re driving,” laughs Nigel.
“We have a different system for Pearl than we did for Dusky. We bought an inexpensive car seat that Nigel secured Pearl’s harness through and then into the seatbelt. This works really well now, although we will probably change this as she grows.
“A long lead attached to the motorhome when we’re parked allows some freedom (NZMCA rules), and we have a crate for Pearl that has made life easier. She’s now crate trained and enjoys having somewhere that’s her own space, especially when she’s tired.”
When travelling, Nigel and Sandra have applied dog-friendly filters to all of the apps they use.
“While Dusky loved any beach, yet not so much water, Pearl loves the freedom of zoomies on the beach and splashing in water.
“We actually thought long and hard about whether to have another dog after Dusky passed away, as we’re both getting a little long in the tooth, but the enjoyment we’ve had in the last few months with Pearl reinforces our decision.”
