Start the engine

For avid travellers and pooch enthusiasts Lynette and Colin Muter, the lack of pet-friendly accommodation around New Zealand spurred the couple to alter the way they travel.

“We’ve had dogs all our married life. They’re part of the family. When we go away, we don’t want to have to leave a family member behind. Not being able to take the dog with us camping was one of the reasons behind getting a campervan,” says Colin.

The Muter’s have always been minimalist travellers. Traversing Europe in a van for ten weeks as newlyweds gave the holidaymakers an early taste for care-free travel.

“Hitting the road without a concrete plan is the ultimate way to travel. You can have a rough idea of where you’re going but have the freedom to adjust the plan based on the weather, how you’re feeling, or a good tip from a local.”

Since purchasing their self-contained campervan ten years ago, the couple couldn’t think of a better way to see the country.

“Having the campervan means we can get away at a moment’s notice. And the best part is, the holiday starts the moment you start the engine!”

Living the ultimate lock up and leave lifestyle, Colin and Lynette spend on average six months of the year at their home base, Forest Lake Gardens, the summer months in the sunny Coromandel, and the rest of the year visiting friends and family in the South Island and exploring the North Island.

“We try to be as self-sufficient as we can be when we travel. We’d often stop for breakfast or morning tea at a café until we thought hang on a minute, that’s not what we bought a self-contained motorhome for.

“It’s also ideal for visiting friends, we have our own space, and it takes the pressure off them having to play host.

“And it’s given us the means to explore the country. I don’t know if there is anywhere we haven’t been. Maybe Gore!”

For Colin and Lynette’s treasured golden retriever Juno, it means she never misses a family holiday either.

“When we are packing up the house getting ready to leave, Juno is waiting at the door of the campervan. She hops up on the back seat to see where we are. It’s lovely having her with us,” says Lynette.