On the road: Grahame and Lyn Maclean

They’ve rubbed shoulders with rock legends, worked alongside some of the biggest names in entertainment, been invited to Buckingham Palace twice and spent decades travelling the world for work. These days, however, Grahame and Lyn Maclean are happiest doing something considerably less glamorous – pointing their motorhome towards the coast and finding somewhere quiet to park.

There’s a lovely irony to meeting a couple whose working lives have been anything but ordinary, only to discover that their favourite place to be is often somewhere with no red carpet, no schedule and preferably no neighbours within earshot.

Based just outside Whangārei, the Macleans returned to New Zealand from England around seven years ago, after a life that had seen them settled equally between the UK and France, and travelling around the world through their respective careers in music and television.

For Grahame, that meant a life as a composer, arranger, conductor and producer, including conducting orchestras for the BBC and major London studios, writing for television and film, and composing the finale for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. His career has seen him work with everyone from Cliff Richard and Vera Lynn to Tommy Cooper and the Bee Gees, while his NorthStar Music Publishing company, founded in 1996, continues to work internationally across film and television music.

Lyn’s career has been equally colourful. A television and documentary producer, she worked on programmes spanning travel, history, music and military subjects, with filming taking her around the world and into the company of some equally recognisable names. Between them, there are stories involving Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Meatloaf, Rick Wakeman, Burt Bacharach and Dame Vera Lynn – the kind of names that could fill an impressive few pages on their own.

Yet ask them about the life they really enjoy now and the conversation quickly moves away from celebrity and towards beaches, walking tracks, birdlife, bikes and the freedom to simply head off.

“We just love our own space and having the ability to explore New Zealand which we both love,” says Lyn.

Their motorhome is, as they describe it, their bach on wheels. It allows them the freedom to explore New Zealand at their whim and experience all corners of the country across the seasons.

Their relaxed itinerary choices speaks volumes about their approach to travel. They aren’t chasing bucket-list attractions or trying to squeeze every possible destination into a trip. They like finding beautiful, quieter places, walking, cycling, taking in the view and enjoying the luxury of having nowhere they particularly need to be.

From camping to comfort

The move into motorhoming came relatively naturally. Both had camped extensively and spent more than two decades sailing in the UK, but after returning to New Zealand they found themselves looking for an easier way to combine their love of travel and the outdoors.

“We got tired of dragging camp gear up hills, attempting to keep dry in the rain, and packing and unpacking every time,” says Grahame.

When COVID arrived and motorhomes became increasingly accessible, Lyn and Grahame decided the time had come to experience the RV lifestyle.

They purchased a KEA Breeze came from RV Super Centre and it was an instant revelation into an accessible and exciting new way to travel. They were of course well trained in compact living, and co-existing in a smaller space than a home, having spent many decades sailing together. They have since upgraded to a new KEA Breeze – testament to finding something they like and can depend on, and sticking with it.

Designed and built in New Zealand, the KEA It has proved a particularly good fit. Their current Breeze isn’t large by motorhome standards, but the clever layout gives them a generous U-shaped living area at the back, while the bed drops down from above, leaving the main living space open during the day. Large picture windows are another favourite feature.

“It’s just beautiful sitting in the back, enjoying the views,” says Lyn. “If we park up by a beach or something like that, we get the most amazing views out of those big picture windows.”

The bikes travel on the rear rack, and walking shoes are never far away. The couple walk every day and looks for cycling opportunities wherever they travel, having tackled sections of the Hauraki Rail Trail and already eyeing up more cycling and walking adventures in the South Island.

Their travels tend to be shorter escapes rather than marathon expeditions – a week here, a few days there – often dictated by work. Whananaki in Northland is a favourite, as is Rays Rest (Coromandel), where they recently spent a weekend watching godwits arriving after their extraordinary migration from the northern hemisphere.

They also love Russell at Christmas, have travelled to Napier for the Art Deco Festival and have ventured as far north as Cape Reinga. The South Island, meanwhile, remains unfinished business. They’ve twice had plans to cross the Cook Strait scuppered by circumstances beyond their control, but another attempt is firmly on the wish list.

And while many motorhomers relish the social side of the lifestyle, Grahame and Lyn are refreshingly honest about what they’re looking for. Peace and quiet.

“We just want a bit of quiet time, a bit of quality time,” says Grahame.

It’s a philosophy that extends to their choice of places to stay. They’re drawn to natural settings rather than crowded holiday parks.

That independent streak is perhaps one reason their motorhome suits them so well. It gives them the freedom to choose where they go, how long they stay and, importantly, when they want to head home.

Peace of mind

That freedom also comes with a practical consideration that can be easy to overlook when the focus is on the fun stuff: making sure the vehicle – and the lifestyle built around it – is properly protected.

When the Macleans bought their first motorhome, they knew relatively little about what they should be looking for in an insurance policy. Lyn did what many new motorhome owners do: researched the options, asked other RV owners for their experiences and read the policies carefully.

After plenty of positive recommendations and their own extensive research (an ode to their careers), they chose Star Insure and have remained with the company for almost six years.

“We wanted to know that if something goes wrong, we are protected,” says Grahame. “Because if you’re not mechanical, like we’re not, when you break down or something happens to your van in the middle of nowhere, you need to know that you can actually call someone and get sorted.”

For the Macleans, that reassurance is less about expecting something to go wrong and more about being able to enjoy the road without constantly worrying about what might.

They say the policy was straightforward to understand and covered the things they considered important, including breakdown assistance and accommodation if they were unable to continue their journey. Just as importantly, they’ve found the service responsive when they’ve had questions – something Lyn admits she has put to the test over the years.

“I’m a pain in the neck,” she laughs. “I’m constantly emailing, asking questions.”

Thankfully, she says, the response has always been extraordinarily helpful.

They’ve never needed to make a claim, which they’re more than happy to keep that way. But having the right cover in place gives them confidence that if the unexpected does happen, their home on wheels isn’t something they have to face alone.

“Plus, we love knowing that everything is clearly spelled out in the policy. We know that the shell, chassis, fittings, fixtures and contents are all covered – the wording is clear and concise, and easy to follow.”

Ultimately that is a large part of what Grahame and Lyn love about motorhoming: not knowing exactly what the next day will bring but knowing they can choose where to go.

For two people who spent much of their working lives surrounded by famous faces, packed schedules and international travel, there’s something wonderfully simple about their chosen lifestyle.

These days, the best destination might be a quiet beach, a good walking track, a bird-filled estuary or a little coastal campsite.

No entourage required. Just their bikes, their walking shoes, their bach on wheels – and the freedom to point it towards wherever looks good.