Random Stories from our Australia and NZ Adventures

Alice Springs and the road to Ayers Rock is probably the best place to figure out how to drive a campervan on the left side of the road. You really can't get into too much trouble, given the very limited traffic. I think Michel has finally done enough driving on the left after multiple visits to South Africa and Namibia, plus another to Scotland, that this time it seemed entirely normal to us.  The Mantra to repeat when first in a left hand drive country is "Driver to the Centre, Driver to the Centre"  Someone told us that in Namibia, and in the split second of confusion, particularly when making a turn, that mantra has been a lifesaver.  

We had the campervan for a week in Alice Springs which was an excellent way to figure things out,  in advance of our 3 week campervan tour of the South Island in New Zealand.  You take up 2 parking spaces, you don't want to go into anywhere you can't get out of, and Shopping Centre parking structures are out of the question, so you really have to give parking some thought. On the plus side, we had everything with us, all the time. We had food in the fridge and we could stop and have lunch in wonderfully scenic locations. We figured out all the grey water, fresh water issues and dumping issues so that when we hit New Zealand, we were pros. It also took time to adjust to living in a narrow space, if you want to pass the person cooking, both have to suck it in and scoot by sideways! You have to secure everything, we had suitcases that wanted to slide down the aisle and drawers we hadn't closed properly that would pop open when driving.  Overall it was an excellent experience.

Uluru (Ayers Rock) at Sunset