Reset search
P&S Adventures on the road
  • Stella Richards
  • Stella Richards

P&S Adventures on the road

A 1287-day adventure by Stella Read more
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarPhotosPhotosShareShareBucket list
InsightsCalendarPhotos
  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Matarangi freedom

    Mar 2–5 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Well… we put the flounder net out yesterday and pulled it in this afternoon at low tide after being out all night.
    Safe to say, it was an interesting catch! We’ve had porori before, but still no flounder. They’re keeping us waiting 😅
    What do you reckon – good effort or back to the drawing board?
    Porori✅️
    Trevally ✅️
    Flounder ❎️
    You can stay 2 nights here, flush toilets, arrive early for a spot fills up around 3pm on    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Coromandel nzmca park

    Mar 4–7 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today we left the van at the NZMCA park in Coromandel and went for a drive up just past Colville Bay for a bit of exploring and fishing.
    We found a beautiful little bay and wandered down to the wharf where there were a few piper hanging around. While we were watching the water, two great big kingfish came cruising straight past, one chasing the other — pretty amazing to see!
    The tide was on its way out so we decided to have a fish there. We only managed one undersized snapper, so looking across the bay we spotted what looked like a better spot. We packed up, drove around and set up under a nice shady tree right by the water.
    Sadly there was a little penguin that had passed away on the beach. I checked it over and there were no signs of damage, so nothing had attacked it.
    We put the drone out with the electric reels and for a change we actually held the rods instead of leaving them in the holders. It must have worked because we ended up leaving with four snapper! One wasn’t any good as the flesh was milky and rubbery, but the other three were perfect.
    All in all it was a beautiful drive, a lovely spot to sit and fish, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Little Waikawau

    Mar 6–10 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Back to one of our favourite spots in the North Island — Little Waikawau on the Coromandel Peninsula.
    This is a fantastic freedom camping area, a large open space right on the beach and a great spot if you enjoy a bit of fishing and beach life. We met some lovely fellow campers while we were there, a mix of Kiwis and a few overseas travellers, which always makes the stay even more interesting.
    Maggie was absolutely in her element here. Plenty of long grass to relax in, beach walks to supervise, and of course keeping a close eye on everything going on around camp.
    The fishing treated us pretty well too.
    First day we landed four gurnard, one snapper (which we gave away), and a small kahawai.
    Second day brought four snapper, with a few undersized ones returned and the keepers coming home with us.
    For those who haven't been here before, it's self-contained vehicles only, with freedom camping posts marking where to park. There are two rubbish bins on site, one at each end of the camp which is really handy.
    For anyone wondering about connectivity, our 4G net speed worked 100% while we were there.
    Safe to say this is a spot we’ll definitely be returning to again in the future.
    Have you stayed at Little Waikawau before?    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Waiomu domain freedom

    Mar 11–13 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Waiomu Domain Freedom Camp
    What a lovely sheltered little spot this one is. Partially surrounded by trees, it feels tucked away and peaceful — a great place to pull up and relax for a couple of nights.
    There are toilets on site, plenty of picnic tables, a couple of barbecues, and a great playground for the kids. It’s only a short walk across to the roadside where the freedom camping area is permitted.
    The beach is quite rocky, but at low tide it looks like it could be a good spot for fishing. We didn’t actually give it a go this time… decided a rest day was in order instead. Even full-time travellers need a day off sometimes! 😄
    Good 5G reception for us with NetSpeed, which is always handy when you’re on the road.
    🚌 Rules:
    • Self-contained vehicles only
    • Maximum 2 nights per calendar month
    • Rubbish bins available on site
    A peaceful place to stop, stretch the legs, and enjoy the surroundings.
    Has anyone else stayed here and tried their luck fishing at low tide?    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Rhodes park reserve freedom

    Mar 12–14 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Rhodes Park Reserve – Thames
    This spot is based at the Thames Rugby & Sports Club and allows up to two nights freedom camping.
    Yes, it’s a large car park and close to the road, but we found there wasn’t a lot of traffic noise. If you’re looking for a safe, easy place to park up for a couple of nights, this works well.
    There are rubbish bins on site, and we also spotted a tap on the front of the main building by the stairs, which could be handy.
    Toilets are currently locked, so they’re not available.
    When we arrived it was pretty windy, but overall it still felt like a safe and comfortable place to stay.
    It’s also only about a five-minute drive to the dump station at the BP petrol station just over the bridge, which makes things nice and convenient.
    The wind was a bit much for Maggie, so she decided the van was the best place to stay and watch the world go by.    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Rotorua stop over

    Mar 14–18 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    After leaving Thames, we headed into Rotorua and spent two nights at the NZMCA Park in Ngongotaha. Always a handy, easy stop.

    From there, we made our way around the lake to Hamurana Reserve and set up right on the lake’s edge for two lovely nights.
    This is a great little freedom spot. There’s a reasonably new toilet block with three toilets, and a sink on the end for those in smaller vans wanting to wash dishes. They’re cleaned regularly, although with all the little bugs around, it can look a bit grotty at times. On the opposite end, there are six large rubbish bins, which seem to get emptied weekly.

    Despite being right next to the road, it’s surprisingly peaceful at night. We had great signal too—Wi-Fi/net speed was 100%, which is always a bonus!
    It was also so nice being able to use our Ezi-Jack system again on the front of the caravan. Makes hooking up and unhooking from the vehicle so much easier—honestly one of those things you don’t realise you need until you have it. Big thanks again to Ezi- Jack NZ for that setup.

    We also caught up with a lovely couple from Australia we first met at Little Waikawau—always nice when paths cross again on the road. They shared a pretty good story about a little incident they’d had, which gave us a laugh! They’re heading back to Oz now, but it was great to see them again.

    And as always, we met a few more great people travelling around our beautiful country—hope they all enjoy their time here as much as we do.
    Maggie absolutely loved all the attention from the international travellers—she made plenty of new friends along the way. Safe to say she’s building quite the fan club… pretty sure she’s got admirers all around the world now 🐾🌍    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Atiamuri Boat Ramp – Hidden Gem

    Mar 19–20 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    What a stunning little place to stay. The reflections on the water here—whether it’s the lake or the river—are just beautiful, especially when it’s nice and calm.
    There’s a great walking and biking track nearby, and if you’re up for a bit of exploring, you can wander your way around to check out the dam. Or… just do what we did and sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet.
    Maggie, of course, made herself right at home—rolling around on the gravel and grass like she owns the place (as usual), and keeping a close eye on everything going on.
    There’s space for about 2–3 vehicles, so it stays nice and quiet—but you do need to keep the boat ramp clear at all times.
    🕒 Maximum stay: 3 nights
    🚫 No facilities on site
    🔇 Mostly peaceful, with a slight bit of road noise from the main highway
    Right in between Rotorua and Taupō, it’s a perfect little stop to unwind and take in the surroundings.    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Taupō Racecourse NZMCA Park – Easy, Safe

    Mar 21–23 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We pulled into the Taupō Racecourse NZMCA Park for a couple of nights just to regroup, tick off a few jobs, and honestly… enjoy a well-deserved meal out.
    If you’re in town and love a good curry, we highly recommend Indian Affair. We’ve been there a couple of times now and it never disappoints—definitely one of our go-to spots when we’re passing through.
    The NZMCA park itself is right beside the Taupō race track, so just a heads up—if you’re there over the weekend, you might get an early-ish wake-up call from engines warming up or cars out on the track. Not a deal breaker, just part of the experience!
    Other than that, it’s a lovely, safe place to park up.
    ✔️ Water available
    ✔️ Rubbish disposal on site
    And Maggie? She was living her best life—sprawled out outside most of the time, keeping watch and soaking up the chill vibes.
    A great little spot when you just need to reset, get things done, and enjoy a bit of comfort along the way.    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Huka Aratiatia Amenity area

    Mar 23–25 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Huka Aratiatia Amenity Area
    We’ve just spent two wonderful nights here and honestly… what a spot to just slow down and take it all in. 💙
    This is a freedom camping area with a maximum stay of two nights at a time (and up to four nights total in a calendar month if you come back after a night away). It’s essentially a lakeside car park, but don’t let that put you off — it’s peaceful, scenic, and has everything you need for a short stay. There’s a long drop toilet on site, and no fires are permitted.
    One of the highlights here is being able to watch the dam open — definitely worth timing your stay for that! It’s also where the Huka Falls River Cruise departs and returns, so it can get a bit busy during the day, but we still found it really calm and relaxing overall.
    There’s a walking track from here (we’ve heard about two hours one way) that takes you through to Huka Falls, and if you’re visiting at the right time… there are plenty of blackberries around too! 🍇
    We also had a little visitor — a sweet stray kitten 🐾 We left some water out for it, and it was very curious about Maggie, although a bit too shy to come close. Maggie kept a close eye on things as usual 👀
    We’ve contacted the SPCA about the kitten and they were hoping to catch it, so fingers crossed it gets the help it needs 🤞
    All in all, a lovely spot to recharge for a couple of nights.
    Have you stayed here before? 🚐    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Clifton rd reserve,

    Mar 31–Apr 4 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Such a lovely spot. Plenty of trees and shrubs to tuck in behind if the wind picks up—though we were lucky and had nice calm weather during our stay. This is actually our second time here, so that says a lot… we clearly enjoy it!
    No fishing for us this time—just a bit of downtime before an upcoming wedding. Paul needed a proper rest, and this was the perfect place for it.
    As always, we met some lovely people… and a few interesting ones too—that’s van life for you! 😄 There was even a lady travelling with ducks, which was a first for us, and she also had a cat.
    One thing we weren’t too happy about was dogs not being on leashes. A few were roaming around, even belonging to NZMCA members who really should know better. Not everyone has a dog, and with our Maggie cat, it’s something we’re always mindful of. It’s just about respect for others sharing the space.
    Facilities here are great—flush toilets, recycling, and a small rubbish bin. But as always, pack in and pack out where you can 👍
    It’s a two-night stay, but we spoke with the council as we had a gap before our next stop. They were kind enough to let us stay four nights. If you ask nicely—especially in the off-season—they seem pretty accommodating, and they do check the area daily.    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Lambton

    Apr 3–14 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We’ve just spent a couple of weeks parked up at Lambton Parkover Property, an NZMCA members-only park up—and what a gem it is!
    Free to stay, yellow warrant card accepted, water on site, and pet friendly ✔️
    Access is a little tight at the gates, but manageable—drive in the driveway and reverse back into your spot, or turn around if you’re confident enough.
    There’s plenty here to enjoy. A small 3–4 hole mini putt setup (clubs and balls provided), a lovely bridge leading over a large fish pond filled with some very impressive goldfish, and even a wishing well. One of the more unique features is the ex-Air Chathams aeroplane you can walk through—stripped inside, but still pretty cool to see up close.
    We met the owners briefly before they headed away—such lovely people. Their house sitter, Trish, was also wonderful to chat with. They’ve got a couple of hens on site, and we happily traded scraps for two “golden nuggets” each day 🥚😄 We were also invited to pick apples from their small orchard—can’t beat that!
    Location-wise, it’s just on the outskirts of Hastings towards Bridge Pa, based on Roy Hill, with a few wineries just a short drive down the road. Max vehicle length is 12 metres.
    And of course, Maggie absolutely loved it here—she took me on daily walks around the garden, along the track, over the bridge, and around the pond like she owned the place 🐾
    Highly recommend this peaceful little spot if you’re in the area!    Read more

  • Stella RichardsP&S Adventures on the roadTraveler

    Woodville ferry reserve

    Apr 17–20 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Talk about wind… and I mean hold-onto-your-awning, is-the-van-going-to-take-off kind of wind. Some of you will know exactly where I’m talking about. For those who don’t—Woodville Ferry Reserve.
    You can stay up to five nights at this spot, and that was the plan. It’s got rubbish bins, three long drop toilets, and on arrival it feels peaceful and pretty… don’t let it fool you.
    We lasted three nights. That was us tapping out.
    Every night, the wind would roll in like it had a personal vendetta against caravans, and then hang around most of the next day just to make sure we hadn’t forgotten about it. Proper gale-force, gusty, rattling-everything kind of wind.
    So yes—nice spot… but it’s firmly on our “once is enough” list.
    On the plus side, being so close to town, our net speed was sitting happily on 5G—so at least we could Google “how much wind can a caravan actually handle” in record time.
    Maggie braved one very windy walk in the sunshine, gave it a solid go, and then promptly decided she was not about that life. After that, it was a couple of short outings… chauffeured in Mum’s arms like the queen she is.    Read more

    Trip end
    June 20, 2026