Air travel cost from the Pacific coast to Auckland, NZ is about $900 per person, round trip. The instructor prefers Air New Zealand for the air trip. The trip is quite long -- some 19 hours if one chooses to go straight through. For a few dollars more you can stop for a few nights in Hawaii; stop at Tahiti; and then arrive in Auckland. But rather than going directly to the motorhome, stay in a farm home ("farm stays") -- a friendly family of New Zealanders. They will feed you breakfast, dinner (even with wine), and show you all the local color. Costs for "farm stays" are approximately $30 per night.

Then rent the caravan for 10 days to two weeks. A typical two berth camper van with most amenities, insurance and extras will run about $2,000 for two weeks.

The best months to visit New Zealand are between September and March, since their summer occurs during our winter. The flowers are best in September/October; while the fruits and vegetables are best in December. Most of the fruits and vegetables are sold in small country stands, purely on the honor system.

RV parks are everywhere. They are not standard KOA's. They are usually beautiful , grassy sites with a private home situated on it. The prices tend to be much less than ours. Most have a "community center", where one can cook, clean dishes, sit with others, watch TV, shower, or whatever. It is a very different experience. The setting is much, much more natural than most of ours. Usually there is electricity only. While country-wide reservations are available, one can also "wing it" with reasonable certainty that you can get in without a reservation. All in all, it's a completely different RVing experience.

A Suggested Itinerary: Start at the north coast, and head through Auckland to Rotorua. Near this town there are many spectacular geothermal attractions, akin to some of the sights in Yellowstone or Lassen National Parks. Many side trips are available en route to Wellington at the southern tip of the North Island. Cross by ferry to the tip of the South Island. The ferry ride from the North Island to the South Island is roughly the equivalent of the ferry trip between Vancouver and Sydney (Victoria) B.C. Next go down the West coast; around the southern horn near Milford Sound to Dunedin (very Scottish), and back up to Christchurch (very British). One can arrange to pick up the RV in "Auckland, on the North Island, and turn the RV in at Christchurch -- for no extra charge.

The presentation then followed with a video tour of New Zealand. It depicted a sunny, warm climate with crystal clear waters, and a wide variety of flora and fauna. Salt water sport fishing abounds along the coastal areas. Towering snow capped peaks are found on both the North and South Islands, and the interior offers a large number of lakes and streams. The birding in New Zealand will reveal species which even the most ardent birder hasn't yet seen. Some of the country roadways appear fairly narrow, but the traffic is reportedly quite light. Temperatures will be some 5-10 degrees cooler on the South Island than on the North Island.

Trout fisherman: Take your gear. Trout are everywhere, and so plentiful that they're not even found in the markets. Sheep are everywhere. Be prepared for the fact that you'll find yourself "stopped" -- or nearly so -- in with the occasional herds of sheep with which you'll be sharing the road!

For more information about New Zealand, including RV trip planning, RVers can call 1-800/788-6685.