Greetings from the future, my spaceship has landed! Sounds funny? Well most of it is exactly true. Ahead of most of my readers in time zone, I have traveled 2300 Kilometers over 8 days and continued to do business as normal. While exploring, camping, wine tasting, fishing, huntings, and a few adventures, throughout the South Island of New Zealand, this is the way to do it. That is right, I circled my way around, while flash packing, in my spaceship. Now…let me explain…
I was recently given the opportunity to travel around in a rental van called, “The Spaceship” . At first glance its an ordinary van but once this thing has hit the road and you are ready for a rest/camp/picnic, it becomes the Spaceship. With some additional equipment this vehicle becomes a mini-camper with a stove, cookware, full size bed, curtains, picnic chairs, table that is covered by an attachable add-on canvas top, and even your own DVD player.
You are allowed to stop at various ‘Space Stations’, throughout New Zealand and swap out the 2 complimentary dvd’s for others at no charge. You are also permitted to trade them with any other spaceships you find on the road. Knowing that car rentals can be pricey especially with deposits, this is another plus. There isn’t a bond or hold on your credit card for the amount of damage that may occur. This has often been the case and presents some flash-packers with a challenge of getting those funds back on the card, in a timely manner. The price of this vehicle is even cheaper than your typical car rental. It is also available in other countries. Something I am sure to try out again. I added a mobile USB hook up to my laptop and was able to email as needed from some of the most remote areas in New Zealand. If you are a flash-packer who has wants to still camp and explore, this is my pick. Freedom camping is not really permitted but you can pull this ship up to various sites that are camper friendly for 1/10 of the cost of a hotel. If you really want to get a laugh, make sure you tell the receptionist, “Your spaceship has landed, where is the best place to put it”. From the future…Aaron.
