Wheelchair Holidays : New Zealand

Budget Travel In New Zealand

Australian and New Zealand Dollars might offer more bang than the American buck but one still cannot escape the fact that our South African Rand does not go very far outside of our shores. It is a source of constant frustration, particularly when one has worked hard to achieve a good standard of living, only to travel overseas like a pauper, scratching around for cheap meals, and living in sub-standard digs. Before we throw our hands up in the dispair of trying to squeeze some enjoyment from our currency, there is hope . . .

Whilst our last excursion to the land of the Kiwi does not constitute a reliable basis for assessment, it was worthwhile noting that three items made up the bulk of our expenses, namely ; transport (35%), accomodation (30%), and food (12%).

Transport is tricky because it depends on what one wishes to see and do, and how one plans to achieve that. It also depends on whether one wishes to be in control of your transport (through hire car, or motorhome), or wish to use structured methods (buses, trains). New Zealand has a well established bus transport system linked to fee structures to meet most requirements. InterCity Coachlines offers budget concious travellers a comprehensive network of routes, operating seven days a week, every day of the year. The New Zealand Travelpass (Fax: +64 3 9615252, eMail: res@travelpass.co.nz, Web: www.travelpass.co.nz is go-everywhere coach, rail, ferry and air travel combined in a flexible travel package to enable one to explore the country at your own pace. Valid for six months they start at NZ$408 and take in all the major sights.

The two aspects over which one has the greatest control in NZ is accomodation and food. In New Zealand we decided to try an alternative style of accommodation to motels and hotels. “Holiday Parks” is the term used to describe centres which offer a range of lodging facilities from tent space, to campervan, to free standing cabins. Holiday Accomodation Parks of NZ ,HAPNZ, www.holidayparks.co.nz is an umbrella body which brings dozens of them together across the country. A more selective group is Top10 www.topparks.co.nz which sets high standards for its members. When neither of these were available we resorted to the Motel Association of NZ (MANZ, www.manz.co.nz, another umbrella body representing budget motels. First up it has to be said that all three have excellent websites and the majority are happy to secure bookings via eMail. The wesites are nothing fancy, but they work very well, and in double quick (click!) time one can fire off a collection of enquiry eMails to chosen lodgings. The websites are proof that one doesn’t have to spend millions on eCommerce to develop a system that works.

Holiday parks are distributed fairly evenly around the country, and close to most major centres of attraction. We found our cabins to be very clean, spacious, well equipped, offering everything we needed, and more. A tip : if at all possible try an pack a good flask. Even the most frugal of NZ lodging will offer kettles and sachettes of coffee and tea, allowing one to prepare a flask of hot water for the day ahead. At an average of NZ$2 for a cup of coffee you will save more than R450 a week!

For us, an integral part of travelling is the “fooding” experience! We enjoy our food at home, and see a trip overseas as an opportunity to try out the local styles. New Zealand is becoming a melting pot of different cultures as immigrants arrive to seek better lives. This is reflected nowhere more so than in the food, where the Pacific Rim is strongly represented. A Chinese supper, in a foodcourt, is an experience, rather than just a meal, with all shapes, sizes, ages, and cultural groups mixed together around one common goal, the enjoyment of food! Foodcourts are generally only open for lunch, but many of them are extending their hours to include suppers as the tourism demand increases.

An observation : pizza’s proved to be “expensive” in NZ, costing approximately NZ$18 each, as opposed to a noodle dish at NZ$7 to NZ$11. Pack ‘n Save (a mixture of Macro shelving, Pick ‘n Pay variety, and better than Woolworths quality) are a national food chain with excellent deli sections which are perfect for the hungry traveller wishing to construct a delicious meal from the variety of bread rolls, cold meats, cheeses, and dips available. The quality of the produce was outstanding. The best source of fresh fruit is the roadside “honesty box” system which proved to be a real winner. In the fruit growing regions, right next to the orchards, one simply drops the required money in a tin (NZ$3-5), and takes a bag of farm fresh apples or pears. Nothing could be easier, or more trusting. Still the best value for money meals in town are to be found at the Retired Serviceman’s Associations or RSA’s. Here one can get a wholesome plate of food with meat and three veg for NZ$6 to NZ$10, leaving some hard earned money over for a glass of wine, a beer, or even some pavlova! They may not be the “in” places to be seen, but this is NZ, and they don’t seem as pre-occupied with the fashionable statements of life.

Besides providing a hearty meal the RSA’s give one the opportunity to meet some of the locals and come up to speed with sports events! This is, after all, All Black country, and they are only too willing to exchange rugby stories over a glass of your favourite amber coloured liquid!

I am permanently confined to a wheelchair through spinal muscular atrophy. My wife and I have repeatedly proved that travelling in a wheelchair is neither daunting, nor limiting, and hope our experiences will be of benefit to others. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any additional information.

Reproduced with kind permission of Hilton Purvis
P O Box 371,
Noordhoek, 7979,
South Africa.

Wheelchair Holidays : New Zealand