Open Roads

When Tailor Made Travel’s Product Manager Jo Munialo set off on a trip to NZ she checked in no less than 10 family members, spanning three generations.

My mother-in-law, Mary, had always wanted to go to New Zealand and when she retired she motivated us all to get organized and go with her. 

We were 11 in total, my husband Alex, plus our young daughter Olivia; my three sisters-in-law Clare, Marina and Melanie, plus Clare’s husband Alec and sons Jack, aged 2 and Sam aged 4.  Then there was Mary, of course, and my own brother William, so we were quite a crowd.
 
We went for three weeks and decided the most cost-effective and efficient way for us all to get around was to hire two six-berth motorhomes.  These are a brilliant way to explore New Zealand because they give you the freedom to go at your own pace, stopping wherever and whenever you want.  The driving is relatively easy as the roads aren’t busy and the facilities onboard are really impressive, we even had TVs and a DVD player.

We collected the motorhomes in Christchurch and while on the South Island we went to Lake Takapo, Queenstown, Milford Sound, up along the west coast and to the thermal pools at Hamner Springs.  Then we took the ferry across to the North Island and visited Wellington, Napier and Lake Taupo, before splitting up for a short time while some went to the Bay of Plenty and others to the Bay of Islands.

We certainly crammed a lot in, it was pretty full on but it was a great adventure and we still talk fondly about the trip, regularly sharing memories of the things we did and places we saw during our travels. 

Holidaying with your family is great.  It reinforces relationships and allows you to share responsibility for looking after the children.  It is wonderful to share really amazing things with your nearest and dearest and I think our trip to Milford Sound, on my husband’s birthday, and sitting in the bubbling hot springs were among the highlights for us all.

Catering for 11 was a challenge but we had some great picnics in brilliant locations and certainly made an impact when we booked into restaurants along the way.  The children all got on really well and from time to time we went our different ways so those who wanted to could have a night out or pursue a specific interest.

I loved the official campsites where you get a few home comforts and additional facilities but some in the group preferred the freedom camping – just stopping wherever they chose which is perfectly acceptable in New Zealand and can guarantee you some great views. 

New Zealand is a really family-friendly destination with things to suit all ages. The scenery was stunning and the motorhomes were a great success. Our trip went at quite an ambitious pace but we certainly had time for plenty of smiles and laughter and have lots of lovely shared memories of the things we did together.