Camper Van Trip III, October 2022

 An overview of our 2022 campervan trip

Karen and I have been for an annual camper van trip for the last three years now and we really enjoy the experience. this year we ventured down south into the Catlins just south of Balclutha. I have wanted to visit the Catlins for 20 years now and this was the year I finally got there!!!

Our motorised home...Bruce the Britz Van

The Catlins are in a remote corner of the country approximately 60 kilometers south of Dunedin and out along the coast. There are a couple of State Forest parks here as well as waterfalls, several lighthouse walks, coastal forest and beautiful beaches.  

Map of the Catlins Region in Southland

Once again we hired a Britz Venturer van for a week and headed south to Oamaru, Dunedin, the Catlins and back to Moeraki. We stayed in Oamaru, Pounawea, Curio Bay and Moeraki and did day trips to various locations

Interior of the Britz Venturer Van

Florence Hill Lookout enroute to Curio Bay

We stayed at a number of different campgrounds over the six days in Oamaru, Pounawea, Curio Bay and Moeraki. The campgrounds were close to places of interest we wanted to visit. 

At Curio Bay Campground in the southern Catlins

All in all it was a good trip...we had mixed weather but had at least a couple of hours each day when we could be outside. The Britz Venturer vans are relatively comfortable for two people so why don't we start by having a look at the van...

Our Britz Campervan:

I have taken to calling this van Bruce just as our last van we had back in 2021 was Brian. Bruce was a Britz Venturer three berth van...it is totally self contained with cooking, toilet and shower although we didn't use any of these facilities on this trip. We used the campground facilities as much as possible to cut down on the mess of emptying waste tanks etc. 

Bruce the Britz Venturer at Pounawea Campground

The Van has a separate toilet/shower cubicle with seating in the back that converts into a relatively comfortable bed. You have another small bed at the front of the van although we have yet to use it. The kitchen has a two burner gas hob, sink and refrigerator. These vans also have a fold away Barbeque on the outside of the van but again we did not use it on this trip. 

Internal layout of the Britz Venturer

There is a decent amount of space inside the van especially if you fold the bed up each morning. Two people will fit fine in this space but if there were three of you you might find it a bit small. 

Looking back into our Britz Venturer

View of interior of Britz Venturer

There are two seat in the front cab and the third person would be seated on the folded away bed at the front of the van. We used the third seat to store our day to day gear i.e. the stuff we needed during the day. Our luggage went in the space under the seats, in the cupboards or on the floor while we drove from place to place. 

Britz Venturer: the front cab...

If you leave the bed down you cannot use the table or sit upright to eat so I recommend you always fold it away during the days. It is also much nicer to be able to have a daytime and nighttime setting as it seems a bit more like home. 

Britz Venturer: the bed set up

Britz Venturer: bed folded away for the day

The van had a TV with integrated CD player so most evenings we watched old CD's of Peter Kay, 80's movies or episodes of Mash. There is also a radio in the back of the van which is great in places with coverage but we could not get any signal except in Oamaru, Dunedin and Moeraki.

Britz Venturer: Microwave and TV/CD player

There is a useful kitchen space with cookers, sink, microwave and extraction fan. We used the hob for heating water for tea but did not cook on the cookers. All of the campgrounds had decent camp kitchens and it is just easier to use them rather than your own facilities. If you were freedom camping they would be awesome provided you didn't get too fancy with your cuisine. 

Kitchen set up of a Britz Venturer

The camper is based on a Mercedes commercial van and it was a real joy to drive even though it is 7+ meters long and weighs a couple of ton. The engine is grunty with an automatic gearbox and while it is no speed machine it has plenty of power for handling hills, overtaking and gentle off road work. 

The base vehicle is a Mercedes van

Britz Venturer: the stereo/information centre

Karen and I both took turns driving and both of us would love to have the money to buy a van like this to use for holidays. Outside our means as they cost upwards of $170 000 new and second hand ones still cost over $100 000. This would be one of my first purchases if I ever won a big lottery prize...

Britz Venturer: comfortable seats up front

The Venturer is an excellent vehicle for campervan trips and I can thoroughly recommend it if you are contemplating hiring one. Several other camper van hire places also use the same basic van including Maui and Delofts. 

Locations we visited on this trip...

We stayed in a couple of different places so lets have a look at what we did on our holiday...

Oamaru:

There were a couple of places we visited on this trip that did not entail us going for a bush walk or tramp. Oamaru was the first of these...we stayed here on the first night of our trip and walked down to the historic of the town and the Steampunk HQ from the campground. 

Campground entrance to Oamaru Botanical Gardens

...edge of Oamaru Campground, Oamaru...

Bridge from the campground to the Botanical Gardens

We made our way into town through the Oamaru Public Gardens which are right next tothe Oamaru Campground. There are a series of paths from here down to the edge of SH1 where it runs south out of Oamaru. 

Sign at entrance to Oamaru Public Gardens

The route of the Alps to Ocean cycleway runs through the Oamaru botanical gardens...there were a series of trail markers attached to fence posts etc. The Alps to Ocean is a 300+  kilometer long cycle way from Aoraki/Mt Cook past the hydro dams (Benmore/Aviemore) to Oamaru. It is normally a 5-7 day ride although it can be ridden over a longer period.  

On my 'to do' list of course...

Alps to Ocean sign at Oamaru Public Gardens

The Gardens are very nice if not as large or sophisticated as those in one of the main centers. There are a variety of native and exotic trees species in the Gardens and there is a very nice pond, Asian Garden and fountains along the way. 

Oamaru Public Gardens...an interesting leaf pattern

....Japanese Yew tree leaf....

The pond is about half way through the Gardens and there is a small dock here where you can throw bread etc to the Ducks, Geese and Swans that live here. 

Lake in the Oamaru Public Gardens

Oamaru Public Gardens...pathway to Oamaru

Right next to the pond is a Chinese inspired bridge over a small stream...this leads to the Asian Gardens...

Asian style bridge...Oamaru Public Gardens

Once through the garden there is a Chinese inspired Pagoda entrance to the northern side of the Public Gardens. Oamaru and Central Otago had a strong link to Chinese immigrants who worked in the local gold fields in the 1870 onwards. Many settled in this area as Oamaru was a prosperous and busy town around the turn of the century. 

Detail of the Chinese Gardens...Oamaru Public Gardens

Chinese inspired entrance to Oamaru Public Gardens

From the Public Gardens you walk down onto the main road through Oamaru and from here you can access various parts of the town. Oamaru was a wealthy town for much of the 19th and early 20th century as it was a conduit for many industries and a busy trade in limestone and sheep products. 

Historic limestone buildings, Oamaru

The town has many beautiful stone buildings built from the local Oamaru Stone and it is interesting to walk along the streets and view them. 

Historic BNZ building, Oamaru

The historic quarter of Oamaru

Oamaru stone buildings...downtown Oamaru

A lot of the wealth was from gold, wool and frozen meat and Oamaru was the easiest port for shipping goods from the large Central Otago sheep stations. The area was also known for Sealing and Whaling as both species lived in large numbers along this coast. 

Shop in the historic quarter of Oamaru

There a couple of rustic cafes in the old town as well as several bookshops, antique shops and some craft stores. 

Another historic bank...historic quarter of Oamaru

You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring the historic part of the town

Steampunk HQ:

While we were in Oamaru we took the opportunity to visit the Steampunk HQ. This is a display space with a Steam Punk theme and there are a variety of weird and wacky steampunk items through the building. There are uniforms, vehicles, technology and funky 'what if' weapons here. 

Steampunk HQ building, Oamaru

Steampunk is a reimagining of history which drops early 20th century technology into the mid Victorian Era. It has  many adherents around the world and there are conventions for aficionados both here and overseas. The old historic town fits perfectly into this as all of these buildings are Victorian looking...

Some of the weird/wacky displays, Steampunk HQ

There are displays inside and outside of the old Oamaru stone building the Steampunk HQ is located in. They have used old industrial equipment to build a weird menagerie of vehicles, instruments, weapons and animals...

Steampunk inspired locomotive, Oamaru

The interior space at the Steampunk HQ is filled with a variety of interesting items. Right near the front of the display space is a pipe organ that you can play. Of course it sounds weird because of the place you are in but make sure you give it a go when you visit. 

The pipe organ at the Steampunk HQ

Sign next to the Metagalactic Pipe Organ

You make you way around the space looking at one after another weird and wacky item.

Inside the Steampunk HQ building

One of the weird vehicles in the Steampunk HQ

Steampunk HQ: frog sculpture

Another wacky vehicle at the Steampunk HQ

There is a yard in the HQ building with some more funky vehicles you should go have a look at. 

In the yard at the Steampunk HQ

Interior of the train at the Steampunk HQ

Steampunk motorcycle at the HQ

Steampunk HQ is well worth a visit and is a major tourist attraction for Oamaru. Make sure you check out the small shop as you leave...they sell items of steampunk clothing, nick knacks, books and posters. 

Oamaru Public Gardens: Fountains and statute's

We walked back to the campground through the Public Gardens and stopped to admire the statutes and fountains in the space. There is a very nice late Victorian peacock fountain here and a bronze statute near the children's garden that was commissioned in the late 1930's. 

Victorian fountain in the Oamaru Public Gardens

Great detail on this historic fountain, Oamaru Public Gardens

The statute is a pair of young children on a rock plinth with cherubs and fairies playing around them. It is really quite beautiful if that is your thing.  This would have been considered very tasteful and well received in the 1930's but it just looks a little creepy in the far less innocent 2000's. 

Statute in Childrens Garden, Oamaru Public Gardens

Fairies on the statute...Oamaru Public Gardens

Two children adore the statute...Oamaru Public Gardens

We just had the one day in Oamaru but we both really enjoy stopping here when we venture down south. The campground is close enough that you can visit most of the interesting spots without needing to drive there. 

Van setup in the Oamaru Campground

Britz Van sitting at the Oamaru Campground

Oamaru has more than enough to warrant a two day stay...it also has coastal walking tracks, Penguin encounters, MTB rides and many other excellent things in the local hinterland. 

Enroute to the Catlins....

The Catlins were the prime focus and ultimate destination for this trip. They are south of Dunedin and along the coast near Balclutha in South Otago. 

Map: The Catlins are south east of Balclutha

They are not a district in their own right but rather a loosely defined area stretching from Nugget Point south to Invercargill. They encompass several hill ranges, forests, remote farming country and rugged coastline. 

On the road heading for Balclutha

Balclutha is one of the larger service centers in South Otago and you must pas through on your way south to the Catlins. We stopped for fuel and lunch before setting off once again.

Main street of Balclutha, South Otago

We were bound for Pounawea which is a small holiday settlement in the northern part of the Catlins.

Pounawea:

Pounawea is a small holiday settlement at the northern end of the Catlins Region...it is the ideal spot to stay at while you visit the various sights in the area. We stayed at the Pounawea Campground which had basic but totally usable facilities. Rustic is the word I used....

Brucie set up in the Pounawea Campground

Lake Pounawea from the campground

The campground is set next to the Catlins River Estuary and it is surrounded by mature native trees with a lovely lookout to the river and areas of native bush next to the campground. 

Mature native trees at the Pounawea Campground

Pounawea Campground was mostly empty

The estuary right next to the campground is very pretty and it is possible to walk along sections of it at low tide. We saw people fishing here and using small boats and kayaks on the water. 

View further up the Catlin River at Pounawea

View out to the river mouth at Pounawea

Low tide at the Pounawea River Estuary

There are a lot more places to visit in the northern part of the Catlin's but we just ran out of time...you could easily spend 3-4 days exploring the local hinterland. 

Jetty at Pounawea Settlement, Catlins

Looking up the Pounawea River at high tide

It was a long anniversary weekend in Otago the week we were here so the campground was busy the first night but very quiet once everyone left on the Monday. We mostly kept to ourselves and were gone for most of the day so it was fine. 

In the campervan at Pounawea Campground

Malibu and Pineapple juice pre dinner drinks!!!

From here we visited a number of tracks and walks including the Tunnel Hill Scenic Reserve, Nugget Point Lighthouse, Pounawea Scenic Reserve and the nearby estuary. There are a lot more places to visit here but we just ran out of time. 

Edge of Pounawea Scenic Reserve, Pounawea

At Tunnel Hill Scenic Reserve, North Catlin's

The old railway tunnel at Tunnel Hill Scenic Reserve, North Catlin's

The highlight of the northern Catlin's was probably Nugget Point Walkway. You walk along a track to a lighthouse perched high above the coast with awesome views along the coast. It was a warm, sunny day when we visited and it is an excellent place to spend time at. 

Nugget Point Carpark, Catlin's, Otago

Nugget Point Lighthouse, Nugget Point Reserve

Tokata Point, Nugget Point Scenic Reserve

I would like to visit this area again as there were a couple of tracks to waterfalls we did not have the time to visit. There were bach's and motels in Pounawea settlement so this is probably the option I would choose if I ever get back down here. 

Bruce surrounded by mature Matai, Kahikatea and Manuka

Bruce was parked opposite the kitchen at Pounawea Campground

Pounawea Campground Kitchen

Another view of the Pounawea Campground kitchen

They actually have some small holiday cabins at the Pounawea Campground and while they were not totally self contained they would be another possible accommodation option.

Holiday cabins at the Pounawea Campground

Jacobs Hill from the Pounawea Campground

Pounawea is a cool little spot...I can see why people chose to build holiday homes here. It kind of reminds me of Okains Bay out on Banks Peninsula.

Heading for the Southern Catlin's

From Pounawea we headed south and further into the Catlin's. The southern end of the Catlin's is more rugged and remote feeling and this is where most of the backcountry tracks, waterfall walks and coastal forest reside. We had two days at this end of the Catlin's and had a packed list of places to visit. 

Parked at the Florence Hill Lookout, Tautuku, Catlins

Tautuku Bay from the Florence Hill Lookout

We stopped at a couple of places of interest on the way south the first of which was the lookout at Florence Hill near Tautuku Bay. 

Memorial plaque at Florence Hill Lookout

Information panels at Florence Hill

The next place we stopped on our journey south was at the Matai Falls Scenic Reserve. There are a number of waterfalls located here including Matai Falls, Horseshoe Falls and a small curtain waterfall. 

Matai Falls, Matai Falls Scenic Reserve, Catlin's

Horseshoe Falls, Matai Falls Scenic Reserve, Catlin's

We stopped at the Florence Hill Lookout on the way south to Curio Bay to have a look at the view over Tautuku Bay. From this high point you can look down onto Tautuku Beach, native forest and along the coast. 

Florence Hill Lookout, Catlins

Looking down on Tautuku Beach from Florence Hill, Catlin's

Information panel...Florence Hill, Catlins

We also went for a walk to Lake Wilkie which is in the forest at the back of Tautuku Beach near Florence Hill. This is a small lake formed between a set of rock cliffs and the beach itself and feature a beautifully still lake and some enormous old growth Podocarp trees. 

At the Wilkie Lake Scenic Reserve, Catlins

Wilkie Lake, Tautuku, Catlin's

Once we were finished at Lake Wilkie we drove straight to Curio Bay. We had planned to stop at MacLean's Falls and Cathedral Cave on the way but both were closed so we will have to visit them some other time. 

Curio Bay:

The campground at Curio Bay was our destination at this end of the Catlin's and we were booked to stay here for two days. The campground itself is very nice with well sheltered campsites in a area of Harakeke and a brand new amenity block. 

Unfortunately the service here was terrible.... 

Campsite at Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

There were no staff at the campground due to a lack of visitors and we had a hellish task getting details and access codes to use the facilities. We had pre booked the site several months prior and it would have been very easy for the manager to text/email us the details before we arrived. We eventually sorted it out but it put a real damper on our stay here. 

Sorting the van the first night at Curio Bay

...Liberal amounts of beverages soothed our nerves...

Campgrounds at Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

The campground facilities here were very nice...new, clean, well thought out and very, very quiet!!! We basically had them to ourselves for both the days we stayed there and we made the most of the kitchen space to get out of the van as much as possible. 

Campground facilities at Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

Kitchen at Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

Dining area at Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

There is a lovely bay right next to the campground called Porpoise Bay and we went and sat on a bench down by the shoreline several times while we were here. there are regular sightings of Dolphins, Seals and even Whales in this bay so keep an eye out if you visit. 

Porpoise Bay from Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

Here is a good view of the campsites with a border of mature Harakeke around them...they were well maintained and it was interesting sitting in the van and watching all the birds flitting in and out of the flax. 

Alternate toilets for Curio Bay Campground, Waikawa

We spent all of the following day away from the campground visiting locations of interest at this southern end of the Catlins. First up was the lighthouse at Waipapa Point. This is the site of the SS Tararua wreck the worst maritime disaster in New Zealand history. From here you can see along the coast to Bluff and across Foveaux Strait to Rakuira/Stewart Island.

Waipapa Point Lighthouse, Waipapa Point, Catlins

Closer view of Waipapa Point Lighthouse

Distant Rakuira/Stewart Island from Waipapa Point

We headed back towards Curio Bay and went for the side trip to Slope Point the southern most point on the South Island. There are some cliffs here with spectacular views out to the Southern Ocean. 

At Slope Point in the Southern Catlin's

Slope Point cliffs, Slope Point, South Catlins

We were going to visit the Cathedral Caves which are down in the southern part of the area but they were closed as you have to walk across private farmland to visit them. The farms were in the middle of lambing so FYI if you are coming here you cannot access the Caves from late August to October...

Looking across the campground to South Head

There is a beach at Curio Bay with 180 million year old petrified trees exposed at low tide. Tuma Toka is one of only half a dozen places in the world where you can se these so you must go down at low tide and have a look. 

Curio Bay, Curio Bay, Catlins

Petrified trees at Curio Bay, Catlins

Close to the admin office for Curio Bay Campground is a regenerating coastal Matai/Rimu forest. This is the same type of forest as the petrified trees so it is interesting to visit to see what the ancient forest might have looked like. 

Entrance to Tumu Toka Living forest, Curio Bay, Catlins

Rimu/Matai forest at Tumu Toka Living forest, Curio Bay, Catlin's

On the way back north to Moeraki we stopped at a set of natural weirs in the Waikawa River. This are known in a joking fashion as the Niagara Falls. there is a short track along the riverbank to a view of the falls and a muddy track down to their sides. 

Niagara Falls, Waikawa, Catlins

From here we continued back north towards Moeraki which was the last place we stayed at on this trip. 

Moeraki Settlement/Moeraki Boulders:

We spent the last night of our 2022 campervan trip in Moeraki so that we didn't have such a long drive back to Christchurch on the last day of the trip. We stayed at the Moeraki Campground around at Moeraki Settlement. 

Moeraki Settlement from Moeraki Beach

Moeraki is a small holiday destination with some holiday bach's, a few cafes and a small fishing port. It is about an hours drive north of Dunedin roughly halfway between that city and Oamaru.

Moeraki Campgrounds, Moeraki, North Otago

The next day we went over to Moeraki Beach on the other side of the bay and walked along the beach to the Boulder field. The Moeraki Boulders are rock concretions formed in geologic times which regularly erode from the sea cliffs at the back of the beach. There are over 100 or these strange rocks here and the site is a major tourism draw over the summer months. 

Moeraki Boulders, Moeraki Beach, North Otago

Looking down on Moeraki Beach from above

From Moeraki we did a sped run right thorough to Christchurch as we had to deliver the van to the Britz yard at the airport by 4.30 pm. We got back to Christchurch around 3.30 and had 30 minutes to clear out the van and give it a clean. We just made it to the depot in time arriving at 4.20...

Bruce was a steadfast home during our travels...

Our campervan trip for 2022 was excellent...we saw a lot of places and although we had hiccups here and there overall it was a lovely time. We have already talked about possible trip locations for 2023 and were thinking the lower North Island, Bay of Islands or even Australia. 

Tautuku Bay from the Florence Hill Lookout

I really enjoy campervan trips but we will have to see what the new year brings...