GLENORCHY, New Zealand — We crested a hill on the winding lakeside road, and there it was: Middle-earth.
Rugged, snow-capped mountains glowed in the setting sun, and dappled green pastures tumbled down to the water’s edge. White peaks soared in the distance. The Misty Mountains, perhaps?
It was past 8 p.m. in late December — summer in New Zealand — and our family was on Day 4 of an eight-day camper van adventure around the South Island. We were headed to a campground in Glenorchy, a village at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu, where several scenes from “The Lord of the Rings” movies were filmed. It is one of the most unspoiled, magically beautiful places I’ve ever been.
We had just left the picturesque if touristy extreme-sports mecca of Queenstown, where commercial bungee jumping started (no, we didn’t try that).
A New Zealander friend had recommended we stay in the quieter, more pastoral Glenorchy, and I’m glad we did. We spent two nights at a charming campground with hot showers and a pleasant communal kitchen. It ended up being the highlight of a trip filled with breathtaking beauty and memorable experiences.
Our 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) loop south from Christchurch, the South Island’s biggest city, took us through countryside that at turns reminded me of Scotland, Switzerland, northern Japan and the U.S. Southwest. We drove past craggy mountains, lush forests, huge barren hills dotted with scrub brush and green pastures with lots and lots of sheep. We stopped at milky blue lakes whose hue comes from “glacial flour,” rock sediment ground up by glaciers. We hiked through meadows, past rushing streams and huge bushes of yellow wildflowers. The sun set around 9 p.m., giving us gloriously long days to explore. We didn’t want to leave.
Touring in a camper van gave us flexibility to go at our own pace and stop where we wanted. It’s a popular way for both Kiwis (as New Zealanders call themselves) and international tourists to see the country.
New Zealand has a well-organized network of campsites. Some are spartan, with just public toilets and access to water, while others have hot showers, washing machines, shared kitchens and barbecue grills.
Campsites are largely divided between “powered sites,” where you can hook up your van to an electrical outlet, and those without power.
Renting a camper van isn’t cheap, but you save on lodging and dining since you’re in a home on wheels. You’re also paying for the freedom of movement. The most basic campsites are free, and many others cost between 10 and 25 New Zealand dollars (US $7-17) per person per night. Apps such as Campable and CamperMate provide helpful information.
Traveling in a camper van was something our two teenage sons had wanted to try since watching the “Ben 10” cartoon show, in which the hero’s grandfather drove around in his RV, “Rust Bucket.”
Our 29-foot-long (9-meter) vehicle — a Fiat truck refitted by Germany’s Burstner — was no rust bucket; it was clean, convenient and operated smoothly, although space was tight. It had two double beds, one in a back room that included a toilet and shower, and another that descended from the ceiling of the front cabin with the push of a button.
It also had a tiny kitchen with three gas burners, a sink and small refrigerator. Driving on the left may be challenging for some, as well as using roundabouts, or traffic circles, which are common in New Zealand.
Our first objective was Mount Cook, New Zealand’s tallest mountain, also known as “Aoraki,” or “Cloud Piercer,” in the indigenous Maori language.
After a long international flight and connection in Auckland, we picked up the camper van near Christchurch airport in the afternoon and got a helpful explanation about how everything worked. (There are many rental companies, including Maui, Jucy and Wilderness Motorhomes, which we used and liked.)
We drove into hilly country, stopping to admire fields of purple lupins and turquoise glacier-fed lakes, Tekapo and Pukaki.
As we approached Mount Cook, its huge white peak suddenly emerged from a break in the clouds, rising starkly from the flat land. We spent two nights at Glentanner Park Centre, a powered campsite with nice facilities and views of Mount Cook and surrounding peaks.
We had glorious weather the next day for an easy hike along a popular trail beneath snow-capped ridges to near the bottom of the shrinking Hooker Glacier, at the foot of Mount Cook.
We hiked beyond the end of the trail, clambering over rocks toward the glacier — which appeared gray, like dirty ice at the end of winter — and stopped at a little hill where my son built a cairn and my wife sun-bathed on a boulder.
As we drove to Glenorchy on a road hugging the lake, we crested a hill about a half-hour later for a breathtaking view that made me smile: We’re spending the night in Middle-earth.
Actually, we stayed at Mrs. Woolly’s Campground in the middle of the little town. It had a clean communal kitchen and pleasant indoor/outdoor eating area. A seven-minute hot shower cost NZ $2 (US $1.33), and there was a cute gift shop next door.
Lake Wakatipu is too cold for swimming, but you can rent kayaks and bikes, go parasailing or hire a helicopter to fly you over the peaks and lake. Or just go for one of the area’s many scenic walks. Some outfits offer tours of locations where scenes from “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies were filmed.
It was a great way to experience New Zealand and build family memories, and I’m already envisioning my next camper van adventure.
— Associated Press
