Mahurangi: Cosy camp in rugged outdoors

It cost just $10 to spend the night at beautiful Sullivans Bay in a well-heated campervan. Photo / Alex Robertson

The wind was blowing hard and the rain lashed down. I watched a couple struggling to cook dinner on a camp stove under the light of the Department of Conservation information hut at Sullivans Bay, Mahurangi.

Snug inside our six-berth campervan, I turned back to the last of my dinner and a glass of merlot, the gas central-heating removing any hint of a shiver I might have had in sympathy for our two unfortunate neighbours.

Diverted by the film broadcast via the Freeview decoder, their pathetic image was soon forgotten. Who said camping had to be hard yakka?

We awoke the next morning to brilliant sunshine and a million-dollar view, the world calling out for hardy explorers like ourselves.

I took my 5-year-old for a run along the beach and a walk up the hill - through mud and sheep poo - for a spectacular view of the Mahurangi Harbour, before breakfast and hot showers.

Ten dollars to make camp for the night at an Auckland Regional Council park - what a bargain!

It was soon time to break camp, just as a few locals were turning up to try their luck with the fish on the outgoing tide. I glanced a farewell to the brave couple from last night and tickled the throttle, the 2.4 diesel showing plenty of torque as it pulled the 3-tonne behemoth up the steep and windy road leading back to the highway and civilisation.

We soon found ourselves looking for a parking spot at the Matakana markets, a difficult task at the best of times but worse in a 7m-long campervan.

I took my wife's advice and parked across three angle parks on the edge of town, leaving us with a 5-minute walk - what hardships we have to endure at the frontier.

With lunch underarm, a belly full of hot coffee and eyes and ears full of market mayhem, we ambled back to our van to plot the next big adventure.

Wandering aimlessly is the true pleasure of driving a campervan. With no real itinerary or destination in mind, opportunities and experiences present themselves.

And so we found ourselves watching fish through a glass-bottomed boat on a trip around Goat Island.

For 45 minutes we watched the fish and listened to our guide Ivan. His knowledge of the marine reserve and environment was matched only by his deft handling of the boat.

Snapper, eagle ray, leatherjacket, parrot fish and parore were on the menu for this trip but, being in a marine reserve, we feasted with our eyes only.

The sea air had made us all hungry and it wasn't long before we were sitting down to lunch and locally brewed beer at the Leigh Sawmill cafe. The garden had plenty of room and lots of things to keep kids occupied without disturbing other patrons.

Now thoughts were turning to where we might stay for the night.

A quick dash across country took us to Scandretts Bay in another ARC Regional Park. Kea have opted for a six-speed manual on the largest of their campervans and being able to select your own gears is as great for going down twisty wet hills as it is for the climb up - the control counters the top-heavy feel from the vehicle that needs 3.5m clearance.

Scandretts is a bit off the beaten track, sitting between Snells Beach and Martins Bay, and we had the place to ourselves. Another $10 for the night to experience what a couple of million might bring you is great value for money in anyone's book.

Again, the morning brought the locals in search of fish. We left them to it, opting for a stroll over the hill to Martins Bay.

Being a working farm, there were plenty of sheep to keep our girl interested but the walk back proved too much and I left her and mum in the playground, returning to pick them up in the campervan.

Warkworth was the next stop, where we followed the riverside walkway in search of a cafe.

The newly restored scow Jane Gifford sat gleaming in the early spring sun while a couple of old salty types prepared her for an afternoon cruise.

But we didn't have time for that. This was the homeward leg of our journey and a visit to the hot pools had been promised.

Taking the old route back to Auckland is still my preference, as long as there is plenty of time.

I'm sure our fellow travellers had the time and it must have been with a nostalgic air that they sat behind us patiently as we meandered up and down the twisting hills.

I noted that none turned off with us at Waiwera.

Again, finding a park was a little challenging but we were soon relaxing in 38C of thermal heaven, easing the pain of our weekend exertions.

All that exploring and adventure had really taken the stuffing out of us.

We all slept soundly. Can't wait to get back out on the road.

Further information:

You can find out about Kea campervans at keacampers.com.

If you like the idea of having your own Kea 6-berth motorhome, head to the Covi Motorhome Caravan & Outdoor SuperShow at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane from September 17 to 19, where you'll have the chance to win one for two years. See supershow.co.nz.

The Robertson family travelled as guests of Kea Campers.