Another Newbie

[kiwicowgirl]

Hi There,

Thought I'd just leave a little post to say "Hi". I'm planning on mainly lurking around to pick up tips, but I should probably be polite right?  Here's a little something about me:

I live in New Zealand. 
I travel a fair bit, mainly to sporting events and I'm really sick of paying $300-500 for accomodation 6-10 times a year!
I have a 2005 Ford Explorer and the other day I was emptying the boot (trunk for those of you in the USA) and thought "well.. aren't I an idiot? I can totally camp in this thing!". This started some internet research and here I am on this forum. 

New Zealand has A LOT of tourists who come here and freedom camp in cars and vans and they have caused some problems recently (littering and leaving sewage waste around the place) so if you are not certified 'self contained' (onboard toilet) it's a bit dodgy to just go out and camp wherever. With this in mind I'm planning to stay at campgrounds. A non-powered 'tent' site is anywhere between $3/night at Department of Conservation sites and $20/night at bigger campgrounds, plus with the toilet and shower facilities I think I'm onto a winner. 

My first trip is next weekend - 4 days in Palmerston North for a Skating Seminar. I'm looking forward to it

 

[cyndi]

Welcome to the CRVL forums, KCG! I know of at least one member who full times in an explorer! It's totally do-able!!!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Kiwicowgirl !

Don't be shy , ask all the questions you want to have answered !

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome kiwicowgirl! Have a great weekend camping! If you have the time would you post some pictures of your campsite? Just curious about how the rest of the world designs campgrounds.

 

[kiwicowgirl]

Hi Tony and Karen,


Yep, no worries   I'll take some pics for you.

 

[ArtW]

Welcome Kiwi! wish I still had my Exploder
unfortunately, I deep fried the motor

 

[OutdoorFT]

Welcome. When I was growing up in the 90s, I spent many nights in the back of m y moms 97 explorer. And setting off the alarm

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forums    

I live here in the states in the southern tip of Ohio.  As a kid growing up there was an older Pharmacist in my neighborhood who had a Drug Store.   He was a WW2 veteran and had been moved all over the world in the
late 1930's and early 1940's.  

He always spoke longingly of New Zealand saying that if there was any place he could go back to and visit again
it would be NZ.  He told us little kids many stories of the country there and how it captured his heart.  I've visited
by using Google Maps Street View to have a view of it. 

http://street360.net/new-zealand/

Wish you all the bast in your travels !

 

[kiwicowgirl]

Yep, it's a pretty special place. Check out Queen Charlotte Drive in Marlborough. That is one beautiful road! and Queenstown. You'll see tons of vans as those are very popular places. 

I've been to the states a few times but never made it to Ohio. I bet you have your share of amazing scenery there too

 

[kiwicowgirl]

Sorry! managed to reply in a quote! obviously I do not have the forum skills mastered yet - oops!

 

[eDJ_]

You're doing just fine. 

I'll assume that you haven't taken a virtual tour on Google for a moment.  This may help others who haven't done so as well.  

If you haven't used Google Maps to virtual tour before, visit Google and type in the name of a town and country and hit enter.  You'll get a split screen with a map at the right.  At the bottom there will be some Map legends, one of which is this character, "Pegman".  (he makes all of this virtual touring possible)

When you place your cursor near the "Peg Man" he will tilt towards your cursor.   (meaning it is ready to serve)  Then Left click and hold on the pegman and drag him to the map close to where you live.   You will notice some of the roads turn blue.  He only works on blue roads.  You can place pegman on any of these blue roads and within a few seconds you will get a photographic view of that area. (you will be there in a virtual sense)  there are navigation devices  like so...  < or >   (as you click on these arrows you will advance in that direction)  and a compass that you can left click on and turn the picture around to get a panoramic view.  On the map, you can place the cursor anywhere and left click and the cursor will turn into a 4 pointed arrow so you can move the image in any direction while you hold down. 

You can just about tour the world with this technology.  Not all of the secondary streets or rural localities are
able to be displayed,  but most of the main stuff is. 

Gallipolis, Ohio is just up the river a few minutes from where I live here in the Wayne National Forest.  If you type Gallipolis Ohio into the Google search engine and hit enter,  then at the top of the page look for "Maps" you will get the split screen map.  You will see the pegman at the lower right.  Drag him to the town and notice the roads light up in blue and sit peg man in the middle of the town and have a look.  It is one of the first cities
in this part of America settled by the French as their explorers and fur traders came down the Ohio river when they first discovered it.  A Quaint little town.

 

[kiwicowgirl]

Hi eDJ,

Yep, definitely used google maps before I'll check out Gallipolis, it sounds lovely.

 

[timotea]

Hi eDJ,

Yep, definitely used google maps before I'll check out Gallipolis, it sounds lovely.

go to rtr in jan u will have a blast

 

[kiwicowgirl]

Hi Timotea,

I'd love to, it sounds amazing, but can't see myself getting to the states next year. I have to come back before 2020 to get a social security number (they wont issue me another passport without one!) so maybe I can time my next trip to coincide with RTR in 2018 or 2019.