There’s one thing about living in Paradise. In fact there’s many things, but one that seems to be amongst the most important for us is the desire to share it with others and hope they are as excited about it as we are.
So when M told me about a new website and app he had found called Campable, another opportunity presented itself to do just that. Campable - to those like me who had never heard of it - is a New Zealand booking site for those travelling in motorhomes and the like who want a great place to park up overnight away from the usual camp grounds. No sooner had he mentioned it and I was off with a dash, with visions of campsites dancing in my head…… Council bylaws soon killed my buzz somewhat. Park more than one RV on your property and you are indeed a campsite, requiring permits and deep pockets. But one vehicle we could do. Easily and legally. Within hours we were listed on their website. Within a few more hours we had our first booking. Now M is a slightly slower burn than me when it comes to these things. What I have in immediate passion and energy, he has in practical details ( i.e the things that make it viable). Where would they park, what would they need, how could we make it a great experience. We went into overdrive and got it all sorted ready for our first ‘guests’. Grass was cut, wine barrels positioned to mark the spot, and sun loungers and picnic bench placed strategically to capture the best vineyard views as well as in shade from the Marlborough sun. And then we waited. At 6pm on our first day of ‘operation’, a lovely couple pulled up in a rather flash motorhome. They were regular visitors to New Zealand and were here for a few months - just following the sun around the country with no fixed plans. They were delightful. We met them with the bottle of Fromm Pinot Gris we had just opened to reward ourselves for a few hours of intense activity and poured them a glass, which was very well received. We shared local information and our views on the best wineries and restaurants to visit. They shared travellers tales. Then we left them to enjoy their peaceful evening overlooking the vines. And yes, it gave us a great deal of pleasure to see them in the morning relaxing on the loungers and eating their breakfast at the picnic bench before heading to their next resting place. Now you are never going to find your fortune doing this, but as with most things travel related, it’s not really about the $ - and that was never our intent. It’s about the experiences - for you and your travelling guests. It’s about story telling. Sharing fresh eggs and the odd bottle of local wine. It’s sharing your piece of Paradise with the world. We both like that.
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Searching for the Good LifeKia Ora and welcome. Since we moved to New Zealand’s South Island, to our little bit of paradise , I’ve been regularly asked by friends all over the world – why we did it, are we coping, do we miss city life and when will we be back, amongst other things. So I decided to start a blog to capture some of the stories and funny things that happen on an almost daily basis – as well as share my interpretation of ‘ the good life’ – mixed in with recipes using what’s available in the gardens, and wine . Lots of wine. Thanks for joining us. Archives
February 2018
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