Whereas people all over the world travel for holidays and vacations, there’s nothing quite like the Summer Kiwi Holidays of New Zealand: scenic, adventurous, downright epic. If there’s one thing you want to go through without a hitch – It’s this.
A lovely getaway to a friendly Kiwi holiday Park. There’s just so much to see in the great outdoors, and because traveling can be quite the expedition (pun intended), it’s the one time you definitely want to have everything taken care of. No one ever expects anything to go wrong, but even the most routine of journeys have been known to have some unexpected (and sometimes unpleasant) surprises. The Secrets to having a great trip? Proper planning, readiness, timing, and the help of moving logistics experts to take care of some essentials and miscellaneous.
You wouldn’t believe how so much more comfortable and stress free trips can be without having to concern oneself with questions about coverage or unanticipated expenses. Then you can go Kayaking with no worries, hiking without a care in the world, and sleep worry-free underneath the starry skies – That’s just some of the perks of good preparation and having great travel insurance.
Clearly, nothing ensures a smooth trip, or smooth holiday (or smooth anything for that matter) quite like proper, thorough preparation. And arguably the most important part while preparing to travel is what you’ll to be taking with you (or packing, for short). Pack too much, and you’ve got unnecessary load that you end up never using. On the other hand, too light, and you might regret not taking that doohickey or thing-a-ma-jig along, or (probably worse), end up buying another one that’ll only end up missing after the trip. Pack just right, and its smooth sailing all the way. In this article we’ll be looking at 10 Must-haves for a Smooth Summer Kiwi Holiday.
1. Shelter
Unless you plan on renting a camper van or staying in a cabin accommodation, it’s always a good idea to take care of this first. Best options are a Canvas or a Dome Tent. For the canvas tents you’ll need a fly, sunroom, windbreak, ground cloth, tarpaulin, extra guy ropes and pegs, a hammer or mallet, tent repair kit, RCD cord for powered sites (some Kiwi Holiday Parks have RCD chords available for hire) and tent Fan (always a good idea in summer).
2. Furniture
Folding camp chairs (enough for everyone plus an extra for guests or as a footstool), camping table and camp kitchen.
3. Sleeping Gear
Although you might be spending a lot of the day outdoors, experiencing what the region has to offer, you always want to have something to lay your weary head(s) on. Sleeping Bags, sheets, duvets, air bed, foam pad, stretcher or bunks. You will also need pillows and extra blankets and an air pump (12V or foot pump) if you choose to go with an air bed.
4. Kitchen Appliances.
Everything involving the food and drinks. You’ll be needing to refuel through your stay, so sustaining the family’s appetite should be a high priority, and you’ll need both food and drinks, and the things to safely cook and eat with, at least till you can access the nearest store or supermarket. You will need the following: Some sort of cooking device (LPG gas stove or portable butane stove), spare gas canisters or LPG gas bottles, waterproof matches or gas lighters, water Containers, cooking utensils (pots, pans, colander, tongs, fish slices, peeler, whisk), drinking glasses, cutting board and sharp knife, cooking oils, chilly bin or camping fridge (depending on if you have power on the site), cutlery (plastic of camping set),dish cloths, tea towels, paper towels, large rubbish bags, tea, coffee, salt, pepper, Ice packs, plastic wrapping or aluminium foil, can opener or bottle opener and large plastic bowls (for cleaning the dishes).
5. Lighting
No one likes the dark. Here are the things you might need for lighting: Flashlights or torches, headlights (great for going to the bathroom at night so you have both hands free), lanterns (gas or battery), spare batteries, spare bulbs, spare lantern fuel and spare mantles.
6. Health and Safety
It’s never not a good time to prepare for any kind of health emergency or safety crisis. You want to be sure that in those events, you’re covered both by your travel insurance, and you’ve got the gear to handle the situation as best as possible. Some of these include First Aid Kit, sunscreen (the New Zealand sun can be very harsh during the summer), Aloe Vera (for sunburns), Insect Repellant, hand sanitizer, tissue and wet wipes. You also need a catalog of all travelers with allergies, their triggers, and prescribed medications. Ensuring your travel insurance also covers health and medical expenses can help put your mind at ease too.
7. Clothing
This should be obvious, but then again, double-checking is never a bad idea. Be sure to check for the following: Normal summer gear (shorts, t-shirts) and warmer clothes for the evenings, wet weather gear or rainwear, sneakers, hiking boots, sandal, swimming tog and towels, sleepwear, sunhats (to protect from the harsh New Zealand sun during summer), sunglasses, gloves, warm jackets, slippers and gumboots. You also need washing and laundry powder.
8. Personal Items
Everyone’s got to have their stuff all packed. Here’s a simple list of things to check for: Any personal medication needed, soap and soap holder, personal towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo , combs/brushes, deodorant, razor or shaving cream, toilet paper, spare glasses or contacts (and contact solution & holder), small/personal mirrors and lip balm. You may also need a sewing kit for quick small repairs.
9. Entertainment
Traveling the great outdoors can be very exciting, but there’s also those quiet moments when things move bit more slowly. You’ll want to have things to keep the boredom away, especially from the kids. Here are some suggestions: Books, radio, Ipod / Mp3 player, board games, a deck of playing cards, pen and paper, frisbees, ball and beach toys.
10. Miscellaneous
Here’s some items that don’t really fit into the other parts of the list, but any outdoor expedition would simply be ill-prepared for if these aren’t carried along: Maps, journals with phone numbers and or other relevant documents (passports etc, including phone numbers to the nearest station, hospital, personal doctor, etc – you get the idea), umbrellas, duct tape, bungee cords, pocket knife or multi-tool, clothesline (for drying clothes) and clothes peg, brooms (for ground clearing), brushes and shovels/pans.
So there you have it, the 10 Must-Haves for a Smooth Summer Kiwi Holiday. You can also tailor this list to suit your particular needs, adding and removing as necessary. A suggestion would be to look over this list and tick out the ones you feel would be absolutely essential for your trip, leaving out the ones you feel can be substituted with others or unnecessary: Either way, now you’ve got the perfect checklist of everything you’ll need to make this holiday trip the smoothest and most awesome ever, made even more pleasant by the peace of mind that comes with knowing that, whatever happens, your travel insurance has got it covered.
