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Traveling to NZ for RWC - advice?

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  SophieAnn 
#1 ·
So hubby and I are really seriously considering travelling to NZ for the Rugby World Cup Fall 2011. Tickets go on sale soon.

Right now we're pricing things out, and looking at options for accomodations but not booking anything (except for the rugby match tickets). We'd be there for about 3 weeks, based on the dates of the matches we want to go to.

The 3 options we're considering are:
- Tenting + Rental Car: We would bring our own tent and camp about 6 nights per week, expecting to spend about 1 night a week in a cabin or motel
- Cabin + Rental Car: Camp grounds have little cabins that are about 2x the price of a tenting site, but half the price of a motel room - we would have a little kitchenette, but shared camp bathrooms
- Caravan Rental: We would have our own kitchen and bathroom, a real bed and shelter, flexibility of where we stay and we wouldn't need to rent a car.

All the rugby matches we're going to are in the North Island (Whangarei Sept.14, near Hastings Sept.18 & 27, Wellington Oct.2). We plan to do some sight-seeing in-between, probably stick to the North Island.

For camping grounds I've been looking at Family Parks (http://www.familyparks.com.au/parkfinder.asp). Any suggestions on....

Where to camp/stay?
Rental car companies?
Caravan rental companies?

Anything help you have to offer would be great.
 
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#2 ·
there are lots of different kinds of camper vans available for rent. that's what i know most about. you can get from the most basic (a van with a bit of a kit out), to the fanciest (well, not those american buses, but those smaller campers).

north island is cool, but if possible, see the south island as well if this is going to be your "once and only" trip. if you know it's not, then stick to the north island and make a return journey when the time is right.

just do "camper van rental in nz" as a search and you'll find a lot of great information. or check out 100% pure NZ--the tourism site. they have a lot of grea tinformation.
 
#3 ·
In Napier, the closest campgrounds to McLean Park would be Kennedy Park . It's pretty nice, we stayed there once when we were having our floors sanded and stained and couldn't be in our house for a few days. I live in Napier.

Funny that you list those matches as being "near Hastings". Though Hastings is slightly bigger than Napier, I've always has the impression that Napier was the more known city in Hawkes Bay.

A rental car for 3 weeks would be really quite expensive. Have you considered the option of buying a car when you get here and then selling it before you leave? There are heaps of old cars for sale. Before I moved here, in 2000 my husband and I came for a visit and we bought an old car for $1200, drove it ALL over the country for 2 months and then sold it for $1100 before we left.
 
#4 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by zoebird View Post
north island is cool, but if possible, see the south island as well if this is going to be your "once and only" trip. if you know it's not, then stick to the north island and make a return journey when the time is right.
This will be our only trip to NZ for a very long time (as in, we might go back when our not-yet-born kids are grown), so we will definitely look into travelling to the South Island.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Castle View Post
A rental car for 3 weeks would be really quite expensive. Have you considered the option of buying a car when you get here and then selling it before you leave? There are heaps of old cars for sale. Before I moved here, in 2000 my husband and I came for a visit and we bought an old car for $1200, drove it ALL over the country for 2 months and then sold it for $1100 before we left.
That is really interesting - I never would have thought of that.

What did you do about auto insurance?

Thank you both for your responses!
 
#5 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Castle View Post
Funny that you list those matches as being "near Hastings". Though Hastings is slightly bigger than Napier, I've always has the impression that Napier was the more known city in Hawkes Bay.
Yeah, actually those 2 matches are in Napier - I was just looking back at a Google map I saved of the locations.

Until a few months ago, absolutely none of the cities in NZ were known to me.

It's going to be a pretty expensive trip, just with flights and match tickets... but oh my goodness I'm excited.

DH played varsity rugby in University and then in a local rugby club (a hooker, sometimes prop).
 
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