We’d heard lots of good things about Melbourne with it’s cool laneway cafes, street art and hip hangouts, but in all honesty the main reason for us heading there was to catch up with friends…. since neither of us are even remotely cool, arty or hip.

We’ll start by thanking Tez and Sze-Ee for hosting and looking after us so warmly and generously throughout our time in Melbourne. We arrived about 1am at their apartment bleary eyed and looking (and smelling) like we’d spent a month in a camper in the wilds of New Zealand. They immediately made us feel at home, and we immediately made there beautiful home look like a bomb site. 

The next morning was spent scrubbing off the grime from camping before heading into the city to wander the cool laneways (far too cool for us). The following day was a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup so the city had the bubbling atmosphere of a town getting ready to party. Not being part of the celebrations but not wanting to miss out we met up with Siobhan one of Mum’s friends in a cafe with a good vantage point near the Yarra river to watch events unfold.

The next day we headed out of town South to Mt Martha on the the Mornington Peninsular to meet Jodie, one of Dad’s old friends for brunch.

From there with full bellies and recommendations of places to visit from Jodie we headed to Arthur’s Seat which has an amazing view point over the peninsular. Then of course on to a vineyard (Stonier Wines) to compare what the peninsular has to offer using our newly NZ educated palettes.
The next stop was the Moonlit Wildlife Sanctuary for some marsupial spotting. The idea was to give Baby Barrett his first view of kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and koalas however we are not sure who enjoyed it the most, Mum or BB?… Especially since BB slept through the koala feeding session where Mum seemed to think she was a koala whisperer.

Our final day in Melbourne was spent chilling out and preparing for the next leg of our trip, up into Australia’s red centre. We also hit a milestone marker in our travels by posting home our cold weather clothing. It’s +28 degrees from here onwards as we slowly make our way North toward the tropics 😎

We are sooo grateful Tez and Sze-Ee for looking after us during our stay in Melbourne. Like with all the friends and strangers we have met along the way, their generosity, kindness and brilliant company (and Tez’s Japanese whiskey stash) has made us realise that we need to up our hosting game when back in the U.K. So upon our return we declare our house an always open house to friends and fellow travellers in need.

We recovered from the grey of Greymouth and headed South down the West coast to the glaciers. These had big billings…can they possibly live up to expectations? Hell yeah! 

We splashed some cash on a helicopter ride over Franz Josef and Fox glaciers with a glimpse of Mount Cook rolled in. Baby Barrett insisted on the helicopter so it was just for him, honest 😉 He coped well with the flight swooping over the glaciers and Mum only screamed twice! We got super lucky with the weather – clear blue skies which made everything so much more spectacular and BB ‘threw’ his first snowball.

The other big billings of the South Island were Queenstown and Milford Sound. Unfortunately our great weather luck ran out and our flight from Wanaka to Milford was cancelled twice. We decided not to put BB through the long drive to Milford so we will rely on postcards like everyone else.

Instead of the drive further South we headed East to ‘Penguinville’ – Oamaru. And spent the evening watching around 150, 30cm tall blue penguins waddle home to nest. 

Oamaru was a super cool town with an old Victorian quandrant which is pretty rare in NZ. We did what all true Brits would do…headed for a pub and had roast beef. We can confirm that Baby Barrett is a firm fan of beef, yorkshires, roast potatoes and peas and will tolerate a bit of cauliflower. Nice work…shame about their carpet after BB scattered half of his dinner on the floor! It’s a great town (and brewery) and we would recommend a visit. 

Since photos of penguins were forbidden (even the Chinese tourists attempts were thwarted) a certain Dad was getting camera withdrawal symptoms so we headed back inland to check out the lakes of Tekapo and Pukaki. Plus we’d heard a rumour of yet another thermal pool in Tekapo.

 As we headed inland the weather cleared and we found ourselves staring at Mount Cook across lake Pukaki. It was so enticing we motored the 55km to Mount Cook village (The Hermitage) to take a closer look. 

Our list of NZ loves are growing – the scenery of course, excellent coffee, cakes, portion sizes. But New Zealanders are also entrepreneurial and special thanks goes out to ‘The Shot @ Tekapo’. Putting a space age coffee machine in the boot of a car and offering it to sleep starved mums at 7am is a brilliant idea. Mum loves that lady!!

We finished our trip in Christchurch. Visiting an old school friend, Greg and family, who visited a decade or so ago and decided there was no better place to settle. Thanks for having us!!

Christchurch was hit by the big earthquakes in 2010/11. We were told that much of the city is still being rebuilt but still nothing prepared us for the sight. It was eerie and pretty sad. They are doing some funky things with the space – a market and mall built from shipping containers for one. I think that in a decade or so a quirky cool city will emerge with a lovely colonial undertone but it will take a while. 

We have one final thing to add to the list of things to love about NZ… nope not the campervan! That’s the acts of kindness from strangers. We were struggling to find a cab from the city to the airport and time was getting tight for our flight. A random guy (Phil) and his two boys stepped in and gave us a lift across town to the airport and saved the day. This was one of many such acts by strangers we encountered along the way and we are humbled by the generosity, warmth and kindness of the Kiwis.

As we leave NZ here are 2 quotes from the road which sum up our experience of travelling for an extended period and camper vanning quite nicely…

Dad – “I’ve only been on holiday for 3 weeks and I’ve forgotten how to set my alarm clock already”.

Mum – “A benefit of travelling by camper is that it’s not too far to the fridge to get to the wine”

Next stop Australia! 😎

The holiday has been OK so far…but there seems to be a bit too much wine tasting (mum) and photo taking (dad) for my liking. However today was different…

8am – Woke up next to my Dad this morning – yay!

9am – Bath time but this time was a lot more fun than usual.

10:30am – Travelling in the car is a bit boring. Time for a snooze…need to shut out my mum’s singing. I think she thinks it helps me sleep!!

Midday – Stopped off for some lunch in Fairlie. I had some of my Mum’s leek and potato soup and some sweet potato. The place was called Eat Deli and Bar – it was fab! I got a massive high chair to sit in but the best was still to come…a big playroom! I’ve played a lot with the Lamaze butterfly (thanks Aunty Kerryann) but I wanted something new. There was a snakes and ladders rug, a push along truck and some soft toys. I played for about an hour until my Mum and Dad thought they had better leave before we outstayed our welcome. 

4pm – We arrived at Lake Tekapo and was promised hot spring action. But only after I had a nap…boring!!

5:30pm – Yay more hot springs. 

6:30pm – I went duck and rabbit spotting. 

7pm – Dinner was my first taste of avocado, some more sweet potato and some chicken. Mum and Dad had wine…and some food. 

8pm – Bed time. Here’s hoping tomorrow is as much fun!!

The South Island had a big, bold and beautiful reputation so we were keen to hit the road after a quick pit stop in Picton. We faced the most critical decision of our holiday so far – West for craft beer (Nelson) and East for wine (Marlborough). Wine won out not least because our well repaired roof required some more permanent attention in Christchurch part way down the East coast.

We had reflected on our North island capers and decided to take it a bit easier for the second half of our trip. Limiting the km travelled each day and doing more mid point stop offs. 

Hurray for mid journey stop offs, the first was the Peter Yealands vineyard just South of Marlborough. New Zealand does many things well and wine and vineyards are two of them. 

Yealands is the first vineyard to become carbon neutral in the world it is an impressive and stunning place to visit, oh and the wine tasted alright too. For those Marlborough connoisseurs this vineyard is a little higher and further South than the main set and so the taste was quite different, ‘minerally’ I believe we were told. 

From there we continued South, destination Kaikoura, slower than expected though thanks to daddy stopping the van around every corner to take yet another photo of the scenery.

Kaikoura is beautiful with a breathtaking mountain backdrop and a fab seal colony at the end of the peninsula. Baby Barrett slept through two sets of seal viewings which we thoroughly enjoyed. The only annoyance was the whale watching company having a policy of minimum 3 years old for going on their excursions, silly in our mind as Baby Barrett would be strapped to one of us. We consoled ourselves with crayfish for lunch instead! 

Time to move on and we made our way further South to Hamner Springs since Baby Barrett has developed an addiction to thermals pools. He’s going to be so disappointed when we return to the UK… Clissold leisure centre baby pool just won’t cut it. 

From there we headed West crossing the backbone of the Southern alps via the dramatic Arthur’s Pass. Baby Barrett held up to the twists and turns in the road well and didn’t complain too much about the frequency of daddy’s photo stops.
We can also report that Arthurs Pass village cafe serves mean ANZAC cookies and good coffee (cakes now being a daily occurrence… Another thing to add to the list of things New Zealand does well) #holidaybelly. 

Arthur spat us out onto the West coast at Greymouth. It is grey. We got our first introduction to the West coast’s sandflies (ferocious & persistent). We left. Enough said. 

We’ve been reading blogs penned by others to get some tips on New Zealand routes, places to visit etc. We’re therefore struck by how useless this Blog is going to be for anyone trying to seek out facts and details to help plan their own trip. Watch out dear reader…facts ahoy coming up!!

We were reaching the end of our North Island jaunt and decided to break up a long journey in a little place called Martinborough. Like the rest of NZ all shops except the supermarket closed at 4:30, assuming that is they opened at all because it is ‘winter’. Should you ever find yourself in Martinborough I can promise you that the Penang curry in the Thai restaurant is far better than one might expect looking at their plastic menus. And I’d definitely recommend nicking a good handful of the complimentary jelly-beans on the counter. See I’ve already bored myself with all these facts!!

We’ve been native campers now for almost 2 weeks. We are proud holders (little bit embarrassed) of our Top 10 campsite membership card. Hot showers and occasional hairdryers sold it for me alongside discounts at campsites and beyond (I am a changed woman!!). 

Now by this point we’d already had a few minor camper van issues. A broken fridge which meant we had to take a diversion back to Auckland on our way down from the Bay of Islands to get the van swapped. A leaking window seal which we discovered on a very wet and windy night in Rotorua… of course it had to be above daddy’s side of the bed. Then a chipped windscreen thanks to a speeding oncoming truck. 

On hearing this you probably think we’d had our run of bad luck. After all bad things are supposed to happen in three’s.

The guide book warned of the difficulty of parking in Wellington city centre but our confidence of finding somewhere was high so we gave it a shot. Four car parks and several laps of Wellington’s one way system later our good tempers were beginning to wear thin. Just as we were about to give up daddy spotted some empty spaces in the Westpac stadium car park. Yes the ceiling looked low but the van seemed just fit under, until… crunch! Imagine the scene, carefully reversing out of the car park then scurrying around trying to pick up the pieces of the shattered roof vent/sky light. 

A 1ft square hole in the roof is not ideal in spring in New Zealand when rain is an almost daily occurrence. The campervan company called an ‘error of judgement’? Let’s just say that the observant hotel man was dead right when he said our van was unusually tall. Oops!!!

The Carey’s came to our rescue and offered us refuge for the evening. They asked if we wanted to stay with them or in the van and Lucy practically chained herself to their sofa. A real sofa…yay!!!

Mike and family were beacons of joy and we can’t thank them enough for their hospitality, generosity, food, wine, bed, sofa…gaffer tape and step ladder. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Carey’s for looking after us – we are indebted to you big style. 

Other than the ‘error of judgement’ we liked Wellington. Craft beer assisted with overcoming shock and the weather was beautiful. We walked up to the Mount Victoria viewpoint and had the most glorious vista of the city. We also visited Te Papa the amazing museum and like the rest of NZ we are delighted to inform you that their long black coffee and muffins are top notch. 

With trepidation we boarded the ferry to the South Island. I need not have worried, there were no low ceilings for us to drive into and Baby Barrett slept for a good chunk of the journey…in Daddy’s arms. 

Our first glimpse of the South Island suggests it is a stunner like everyone said. We can’t wait to explore further

We’re somewhere south of Rotorua having already visited Bay of Islands and Waihi Beach. New Zealand is gorgeous, if a little rainy. 

Highlights so far include New Zealand ‘long black’ coffees, pristine long stretches of sand and geothermal wonderlands. 

Rotorua is described by the Lonely Planet as subterranean sexiness at its most obvious and I can’t improve on that description. The town smells of eggs and the clouds of escaping sulphurous gas does nothing to put off daily life. It’s quite simply crazy!!


Our campervan site tonight resembles the set of Jurassic Park. Geothermal steam is rising from behind the undergrowth, which combined with mist gives the place an eerie feel. 

All of that geothermal-ness is put to good use. We’ve just been for an evening dip in the thermal baths. There are 6 all of different temperatures and Baby Barrett loved frolicking in the water. 


Time for our campervan dinner and I’m feeling like Floyd. Beaker of wine in hand I whip up some microwave sweet potato, ready cooked salmon and packaged slaw. Yummy!

It must be a perfect night as the bubba went to sleep easily and I’m typing this with a glass of New Zealand red nearby. Here’s hoping he stays asleep! 

We’re kidding ourselves if we suggest our jaunt to the East coast is for baby Barrett…wine tasting here we come!! We’ve based ourselves in Napier, self declared ‘Art Deco capital of the world’. I’m no expert on such things but I can’t argue – it is gorgeous, they’ve even managed to make the local Masonic Lodge look cool!

Anyhow onto more important things – our afternoon of wine tasting. We tried and failed to do some tasting on Waiheke Island but Baby Barrett had other ideas as the poor bubba was still getting over jet lag. 

Excitement was building but also nerves were surfacing. Here are the issues…

1. I have a rubbish palate. On the plus side all wine tastes generally good. On the down side I struggle identify floral notes of any kind. 

2. I hate to waste wine. Showing me a wine tasting spittoon feels like sacrilege. 

3. Baby Barrett. A 5 month old is not the most natural companion for wine tasting. 

I need not have feared. We were off season so we had the tour guide to ourselves. The spittoon was deemed optional and Baby Barrett charmed everyone by flashing his blue eyes at all who looked in his direction resulting in tasting glasses being filled more generously. Result!

We visited Esk Valley (part of Villa Maria), Moana, Mission and one other. We’ve wracked our brains and we can’t remember the name of the other one. 3 reds and 3 whites at each and I think I know why!!

The great revelation of the trip is that I have rediscovered Chardonnay. Turns out I do still love the buttery taste and the grape is recovering from the uncoolness of being a popular girl’s name for a while. I’ve wracked my brains as to why I stopped drinking the stuff and I’ve had to blame peer pressure, specifically Anna Rowley (yes you!) as I am sure she was the one that nudged me towards Sauvignon Blanc – cruel lady 😉. 

The sun was shining, the cheese plate was generously large and we had rosy cheeks. I forgot my poor palate embarrassment and declared at the final vineyard that the Pinot Gris tasted like Sauvignon (at this point everything tasted like Sauvignon). I felt bold and creative in sharing my tasting thoughts…mistake. Apparently it does not! I’m not alone as I can clearly remember John declaring he knew the grape variety of one glass without looking – nope!

It was a stunning afternoon and our campervan is a little heavier following our purchases. We even procured a bottle of port (that can’t be called port because we are not in Porto) which should warm our cockles on those cold South Island nights. 

Note – no babies were hurt in the making of this blog. JB often took my share of wine but as it happens Baby Barrett slept well that night too!

22 hours later we consider ourselves relative experts on flying with a bubba. So what did we learn?

1. 22 hours on plane is a very long time. With a baby it is a v v v long time. 
2. Babies do not sleep in the lovely bassinets provided by the airline. They do however make wonderful mini bar storage systems.
3. On the plus side air hostesses seem amenable to dishing out wine on demand in sympathy.  
4. The schmuck that designed the Airbus A380 did not have kids. Thanks for the high res. TV screen above the baby seats. Here’s to a wired bubba!
5. Queue jumping seems to be perfectly acceptable when you have a baby.
6. Attempting to watch a film on the in-flight entertainment system when travelling with a baby is futile.

Anyway, we made it to Auckland without any major meltdowns and only slight crankiness from the jet lag. So with a good nights horizontal sleep (as opposed to being bent double in an economy class airline seat) we’ll be all set for exploring Auckland tomorrow.