Full-Sized Life

Our 1970s home (153sqm) was considered large for its time, when the average house was around 100sqm. For the past 10 days, Alan and I experienced life in just 17sqm of living space – quite the contrast!

We mastered the art of the Sideways Shuffle, and Alan became very intuitive about fetching items from high cupboards I couldn’t reach. Surprisingly, our relationship not only survived but, dare I say it, flourished. We’re looking forward to planning future adventures in more 17sqm confinement.

Lessons from the Road

We covered over 2,000km in eight (effective) days of travel. Effective because we set off at dusk and later than planned on the first day. Our key takeaway? Next time, we’ll explore fewer locations more thoroughly.

Weather Adventures

We played cat-and-mouse with two weather-warning storms during our journey.

The first when we were freedom camping on Gisborne’s east coast, where I imagined our van being swept into the Pacific. Because watching the weather is professionally critical for Alan in his day job, he knew where we’d parked-up would be safe. But man! was it still windy!

The second found us in a tiny coastal settlement in the Tararua District. Again, we were strategic in our choice of location. However, we didn’t wait around the next morning as Alan wanted to get away in case falling trees blocked our one and only exit.

We survived both storms. Our holiday was an experience of everything from stunning clear days to wild, squally conditions.

Our Test Van: The Dethleffs Trend 7057 DBL Experience

The centre-island bed configuration in our hired Dethleffs Trend 7057 DBL seemed ideal initially – it was the reason we chose it. Reality proved different. While bed-making was manageable (though not perfect), the overhead storage became a constant challenge.

My inability to reach these cupboards meant frequent requests for Alan’s help and the inefficient use of critical storage space.

My laundry basket solution for clothing storage was functional but not ideal; it lived nomadically between the bed during the day and a lounge seat at night.

The under-bed storage remained largely unused due to the awkward heavy lifting required.

These experiences have led us toward considering a twin-bed configuration for better storage access and similar bed-making effort.

Bike Drawer Success

Our DIY bike drawer (my suggestion, Alan’s craftsmanship) proved superior to commercial versions, attracting curious onlookers in Napier who “casually” inquired about it.

I was especially proud and impressed with Alan’s workmanship – he temporarily rigged the drawer to the inside of our rental without any modifications required to keep the drawer stable.

Cycling Adventures and Misadventures

We both experienced falls – Alan’s resulting in an ACC-covered week off work for a possible rotator cuff injury, while mine left me with bruises, bumps, grazes, and a new helmet after a head-impact fall.

Highlights

Our vision for future motorhome travel focuses on New Zealand’s easier cycle trails and walkways. The Ngongataha to Rotorua ride represented this brilliantly (16km return), despite my third tumble on that ride.

The Napier dusk-time evening ride (pre-Alan’s fall) also captured what I’d envisioned.

Dawn walks and visible sunrises – when clouds didn’t hide the sun – became special moments. I enjoyed being able to get up early, without having to climb over Alan in the east-west bed configuration of our first motorhome rental.

Return to Reality

Now we’re readjusting to normal life: unlimited showers, organised storage, and the luxury of a washing machine. The contrast makes both lifestyles more appreciated.

I especially need to acknowledge my team over the last 10 days – this holiday wouldn’t have been as free-from-work as they made it. Yes, I still worked – but I wasn’t glued to my laptop like usual.

And the ability to work on the go, when good internet strength allowed, meant Alan and I could get away.

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Here’s to our next Motorhome Holiday…

Here’s to fantastic teams – we couldn’t have done this without them…

Here’s to continued safe travels and adventures around Godzone Aotearoa New Zealand – on foot, two wheels and four.

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Here’s to SmilingOnTheInside!