During our 5 weeks traveling New Zealand via campervan…How much money did we spend? How many miles did we drive? How many miles did we hike? It’s all listed here. Click here for our itinerary.
THE DRIVING
- Total miles traveled in the campervan: 2,873
- That’s like driving from LA to New York. Over 35 days, that’s an average of 82 miles per day.
- Estimated average speed traveled: 46-47 mph
- Estimated time spent driving: 62 hours
- Over 35 days, that’s an average of 1 hr 45 min per day.
- Total fuel costs: $915 USD
- Total fuel stops: 15
- Average fuel price: $2.15 per liter ($8.14 per gallon).
- Yikes! Makes gas prices in the states seem not so bad.
THE HIKING
- Total number of hikes completed: 30
- Number of these hikes that are classified as “Great Walks”: 4
- Tangariro Northern Circuit, Abel Tasman Coast Track, Kepler Track, Routeburn Track
- Total miles hiked: 265.5
- Total hours hiked: 129
- Average pace: 29 minutes per mile
- Number of hikes 10+ miles long: 12
- Number of hikes 5+ hours long: 14
- Longest day of hiking (distance): 20 miles (Kepler Track Day 1)
- Longest day of hiking (time): 8.5 hours (Kepler Track Day 2)
THE CAMPING
- Number of different places we parked the campervan overnight: 26
- Number of sites with showers: 11
- Longest stretch without a shower: 6 days (lifetime record for Joann, not such a big deal for Jay)
THE SPEND
- Total amount we spent traveling in New Zealand: $7,072
- Average cost per day: $202 (target budget was $200/day)
- Over half of our budget went to the campervan ($90/day for the rental with insurance plus average of $26/day on fuel)
- IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY!
THE HIKING LIST
- Mt Eden in Auckland (2 miles, 1 hr)
- Waiheke Island (15 miles,8hrs)
- Matiatia Wharf > Te Miro Bay > Church Bay > Park Point Coastal Walkway > Te Wharay Bay > Huruhi Bay > Oneroa Beach > Owhanake > Matiatia Wharf
- Kauaeranga Valley Day 1 (8.5 miles, 5hrs)
- Kauaeranga Road End > Webb Creek > Hydro Camp > Pinnacles Hut > Pinnacles > Dancing Camp Dam > Billy Goat Basin > Billy Goat Falls > Kauaeranga Road End
- Kauaeranga Valley Day 2 (6 miles, 4.5hrs)
- Kauaeranga Road End > Billy Goat Falls > Detour Path to Creek > Tarawaere Dam > Tarawaere Dam Track > Kauaeranga Road End
- Cathedral Cove (4 miles, 2 hrs)
- Tarawera Trail (19 miles, 7.5hrs)
- Tarawera Trail Car Park > Hot Water Beach > Tarawera Trail Car Park
- Tarawera Falls (6 miles,3hrs)
- Tarawera Outlet to Falls Track
- EasternOkataina Walkway (12 miles, 5hrs)
- Lake Okataina car park > Humphries Bay > Lake Okataina car park
- Te Auheke/Cascades Track (1 mile, 1 hr)
- Pohaturoa Track at The Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest (5 miles, 2 hrs)
- Rainbow Mountain (4 miles, 1.5hrs)
- Crater Lakes to the summit
- Tangariro Alpine Crossing (14.5 miles, 7 hrs)
- Tangariro Northern Circuit Day 1 (13 miles, 6 hrs)
- Tangariro Northern Circuit Day 2 (13.5 miles, 5 hrs)
- Queen Charlotte Track (10 miles,4hrs)
- Anakiwa to Onahau Bay
- Abel Tasman Coast Track (17 miles,7hrs)
- Marahau > Anchorage Hut > Torrent Bay > Marahau
- St Arnaud Ridge Track and Loop Track at Nelson Lakes National Park (8.5 miles, 5 hrs)
- Hooker Valley Track at Mt Cook (6.5 miles, 3 hrs)
- Mueller Hut Route at Mt Cook (6 miles, 4.5 hrs)
- Diamond Lake in Wanaka (4.5 miles, 2 hrs)
- Rob Roy Track (7 miles, 3.5 hrs)
- BenLomand (9.5 miles, 5.5 hrs)
- Gondola in town to summit
- Kepler Track Day 1 (20 miles, 8 hrs)
- Kepler Track Day 2 (17.5 miles, 8.5 hrs)
- Milford Sound Foreshore Walk (0.5 miles, 0.5 hrs)
- Routeburn Track Day 1 (14.5 miles, 7.5 hrs)
- Routeburn Track Day 2 (14.5 miles, 7.5 hrs)
- Sandfly Bay Coastal Track (2 miles, 1.5 hrs)
- Tunnel Beach Coastal Cliff Track (1 mile, 1 hr)
- Sandymount Circuit (3 miles, 1.5 hrs)
- The Chasm > Lovers Leap > Sandfly Bay viewpoint > Sandymount summit
WHERE WE PARKED THE CAMPERVAN EACH NIGHT
- Jan 31: Pukekohe (Rosa Birch Park)
- Feb 1-2: Auckland (Silo Park)
- Feb 3: Firth of Thames (Kaiaua Boat Club)
- Feb 4: Kauaeranga Valley (Wainora Campground)
- Feb 5: Hot Water Beach (TOP 10 Holiday Park)
- Feb 6-8: Rotorua/Lake Okareka (Boyes Beach Reserve)
- Feb 9: Rortorua/Blue Lake (TOP 10 Holiday Park)
- Feb 10: Kaimanawa Forest (Urchin Campsite)
- Feb 11-12: Ohakune (TOP 10 Holiday Park)
- Feb 13: Tongariro National Park (we left the campervan in the parking lot for our overnight at the Oturere Hut)
- Feb 14-15: Martinborough (TOP 10 Holiday Park)
- Feb 16-17: Wellington (Te Papa Museum)
- Feb 18: Motueka (Wharf)
- Feb 19: Nelson Lakes National Park (Kerr Bay Campsite)
- Feb 20: Winchester (Winchester Bridge)
- Feb 21-22: Mt Cook (White Horse Hill campground)
- Feb 23: Waneka (TOP 10 Holiday Park)
- Feb 24: Cromwell (Lowburn Harbor)
- Feb 25, 26: Queenstown (Lake Hayes)
- Feb 27: Te Anau (TOP 10 Holiday Park)
- Feb 28: Kepler carpark (we left the campervan in the parking lot for our overnight at the Iris Burn Hut)
- Mar 1: Te Anau (Kiwi Holiday Park)
- Mar 2: Milford Sound (Milford Sound Lodge campervan site)
- Mar 3: The Divide carpark (we left the campervan in the parking lot for our overnight at the Routeburn Falls Hut)
- Mar 4: Te Anau (Kiwi Holiday Park)
- Mar 5: Dunedin (Ocean View Recreation Reserve)
- March 6: Christchurch (Christchurch TOP 10 Holiday Park)
Jay and Joann's Journey 
Now those are some stats!
Thanks for sharing your journey. While I physically wasn’t with you, the photos and stories you shared gave me a window into your journey. It was great keeping up with your journey. I typically read your blog (via email subscription) when it arrived in my inbox.
Thanks for following us along the way bro!
Very cool info! Didn’t know Jay was such a stats kinda guy 🙂 wish I could follow in your footsteps some day!
Impression numbers, and even more impressive that you kept such a detailed account of so many details while traveling! How many pairs of shoes did you wear over those miles?
Ha! We each had just one pair of hiking shoes with us, our Salomon trail runners, which were perfect because they are comfortable, not too bulky, and most importantly – waterproof!