One of my favorite things about you guys: how you interact with the camera. You don't have "camera voices" - you just talk, like we're there with you. You're so joyful and funny. I legit feel like I'm there in the van eating gnocchi!!
I must say it's rather impressive how successfully you guys navigated the pronunciation of New Zealand place names, and it's clear that you did some research at some point because you don't fall into any of the traps with stress placement that most visitors do. Almost every video I watch of American visitors will include them saying "wa-NA-ka" (and "ku-MA-ra"), but you guys correctly put the stress on the first syllable, which the Pākehā pronunciation does to emulate the Māori long vowel (Wānaka). And often your pronunciation was more accurate to the Māori pronunciation than most Kiwis can manage, so your care and effort is definitely noticed and appreciated. ❤ I'm also super glad that you guys got to check out Te Papa, which most people ignore because they assume it'll just be your typical snooze-fest museum exhibiting all its stolen artefacts, but Te Papa is truly unlike any other museum and emphasises making its educational value as accessible as possible, which it does in partnership with local indigenous groups. Hopefully more people will be inspired by your video to make the stop in Wellington at least for Te Papa (which admittedly, doesn't have a whole lot else on offer), rather than just skipping over it on their way to or from the ferry. 🙏
Wow!! What an incredible video! Im a kiwi and wouldn’t usually watch a video of my own country but viewing it though your eyes makes me so incredibly proud to be a New Zealander ! After seeing you in Havelock walking Te Mata Peak I was praaaaaying you’d stop in Napier as it truely is beautiful! Hawkes bay is my home town and I absolutely love it here! Thank you so much for show casing how beautiful our country is and the immense respect you showed our land! If you ever come back, I’ll be more than happy to show you around some gem spots here and we could even put a traditional hangi on for you both ♥️
Lisa and Josh, thank you so much, yet again, for taking me and many others with you both on your wonderful trip through New Zealand. I cried, because of laughter, and I cried because of sadness (especially when you had to say goodbye to Sassy). You both are a true inspiration to make the best of life and stay positive even when it's pouring down with rain 🙂 and be grateful for the good things that are happening. Can't wait for your next adventure, but for now: Thank you from the Netherlands.
Hey guys, we kiwi's and came across ur South Island video. I've been in nz 48 yrs and I've never done a trip like yours until this Feb 2024 we r doing 30 days in the SI. Yeehaa . 😁 Loved watching ur video and adventures , we took notes and have tweaked our itinerary. Thank u. U two are very genuine and humble , two traits us kiwis find admirable and warm to. We have subscribed so can watch more of your vids. Take care and have fun making memories!! John and Sue
Funny, I was at first confused about the use of the word 'kiwi". Yes indeed, you wonderful people in this awesome place call yourselves kiwi's + the word also refers the the kiwi bird + the word also refers to the kiwi fruit. It's a little confusing at first to us outsiders. I'm half a world away right now in America (at this very moment) enjoying some kiwi fruit imported from New Zealand... it is absolutely delicious!!
Thanks, Lisa and Josh, for bringing back my old memories from New Zealand. I love Aotearoa, the most beautiful land ever. I lived there for two years. I miss everything and everyone from N Z.
I never imagined seeing a place that rivaled the beauty of Alaska. And then you shared your amazing 3 week camper van adventure in New Zealand. Love the joy of your interaction with the camera and each other. Excellent editing and post-production. 👏
We are from Australia and have been watch you from the start. This is the very best video you have produced and we loved every minute. So happy that you move love pies and Pics peanut butter as that’s my fave too. So happy that you also caught up with Cheveyo and Tia as well. Much love and don’t ever stop!!!! Pete and fam. ❤❤❤
What a amazing Vlog. I don't tend to watch travel Vlogs of Aotearoa as I was born and bred here but this just came up and I watched from begining to end. I feel so inspired ❤Keep up the amazing work you two 😸
I've just started doing travel research for our NZ trip and am SO glad I found this vlog! I've now watched several, and honestly this is the only one I've truly enjoyed. It is so well put together and so natural! Thanks for all the tips, budget-friendly angle, and fun!
Absolutely loved that you guys made your way to Aotearoa New Zealand. I hope you both enjoyed your trip. Your videos helped alot with my current trip to South Korea and Japan. Would have loved to introduce you guys to a bit of Māori culture and traditions. Next time maybe 😊
We had the best time :) and so glad to hear they helped, hope you had a great time in Korea and Japan! Would love that next time!!! We’d love to learn more about Māori culture!
Been planning my north island solo road trip adventure for a while now and this video gave me A LOT of insight. I also don’t normally watch YT videos this long but I was hooked. Thankyou! 🎉❤
Hi, a real Kiwi here lol, I live just south of Taupo and lived in NZ all my life. I so enjoyed this video, both your characters are so positive and loveable. I gotta say you really copped some unsettled weather along a lot of your trip which is very typical for September and October here. The summer months make this country a very different place with all the lakes and beaches glistening in sunshine most days for 4 months. If you like the cooler temps but plenty of sunshine without winds come in the autumn, March and April when we have the most settled and calm sheer stunning days you will find anywhere. I wish you's lived here, you would fit right in.
That was such an enjoyable road trip. To experience the sights from the van and listen to the dialogue from the companions repeating a trip I did over 30 years ago with my young family, was so much fun. Thank you and again Thank you.
Stainless steel pans can be difficult but once you get how to use them they are freaking awesome. I’ve just bought a few. 1) pre-heat on max until a splash of water will bead around the pan. 2) turn down to medium. 3) add fats/oils then food. The pan basically can not be too hot or too cold otherwise things will burn/stick into the micro-crevices of the pan. Enjoy your no-stick pan without the chemicals of normal no-stick coatings. Clean with steel scourer if needed. Easy maintenance and last forever!
I just loved this. You took me on the journey with you. When it finished & I looked around at my lounge room i was so disappointed. I really did go along for the ride. Wonderful editing, very funny in parts, stunning scenery of course but you two just make it very enjoyable to watch. Inspired me to plan my trip& get fish n chips for DINNER!!!! ❤😊
Guys I loved every bit of this movie length vlog! I smiled (and at times giggled) through it because I could relate. It’s been years since my last visit and I long to travel there again. It’s so beautiful. My first was as a single young woman on one of those 3 week bus trips for young people…like Contiki, but it wasn’t Contiki. Then in 2007 for 3 weeks again in a motor home as a family of 5. Best family holiday ever! The first time was in March with relatively good weather. The second during the NSW (Australia) school holidays in October and the weather was similar to yours. Fortunately, I got lucky both times getting on a Milford sound cruise AND in fine weather as well. Looking forward to watching where you are heading next?
This trip was inspiring! I love your budget concept and it’s given me some content and travel ideas for sure! I also love that you went to supermarkets and cooked a lot of meals, that’s the true spirit of road trip in a trailer! I’d absolutely love to visit New Zealand but it may be a few years before we can get there due to our long term travel plans. Your video was incredible!
We went to Lake Taupo area of NZ for our honeymoon the first week of October knowing it would be early spring. We packed a lot of shorts, t’s and tanks as we were heading to Australia next. The weather forecast was fair but when we got there, BRRRRRRR. We learned a bit of a lesson with our budgeting especially since we had a tight budget but Ike you said, we were halfway around the world. There was more to see than anticipated and we decided that we would do it all and sacrifice the small stuff like store bought beers and chips if it meant we could see and do cool stuff. We ate pasta for a few months when we got home but we have NEVER regretted it:)
You two are a breath of fresh air! Appreciate your down to earth honesty, ability to deal with the unexpected, and the reality of travel costs. It was great watching two ordinary people (not model perfect folk ) not wearing designer sportswear, give a great insight on what to expect. Your photography and video skills are wonderful! Your video really excited us for our trip next week. Must admit your trip seemed to have worked out better than I thought considering you didn't do much planning in advance. Thank you and Happy Travels wherever you are. Pat from Los Angeles : )
Why do you guys always make me smile and chuckle? So great to have you travelling again . I so want to see New Zealand and on the scale of things I live so close. I must try to get there one day. "You can hear the howl of a sedentary gypsy".......!!!!!!! Have another brilliant trip, Cheers, Muffy from Oz (Australia)
Lovely to bump into you at Lake Rotoiti. Funnily enough I first came across your videos when I was researching the Camino Portugues, which is where I started my six months of travel, and I ended it in New Zealand.
This reminded me of my 2 week trip in South Island in 2008. Thanks for sharing your incredible journey and bringing back memories. I went through my photos from the trip and it was a joy to recall my entire trip. I hope I can make it back to NZ one day and make more memories with videos as well.
Omg Josh and Lisa , both you are so blessed , it's extremely difficult to see the shy nocturnal kiwi in NZ ... Ooops Superb video , brought back so many memories , Wanaka , Queenstown , Franz Josef , Mt Cook , Te Anau
Absolutely loved watching this video..Brings back so many memories of our campervan trips..Was stoked when you passed Sonny on to Tia will enjoy following Sonnys journey as I follow Tia and Cheveyo on their NZ adventures
Awesome tails of your adventures in NZ, sorry the weather wasn’t better for you. I recognised your friends at the end there, I’m following the journey through the country as well, well done video guys..
So good ! ! ! Guys~if you come back again later you could always do the other 'smaller' islands ~ Stewart in the south, Chatham to the east, Pitt a little further out from there ~ Kapiti in the west ~ Mokoia in the middle ~ a bunch out from Auckland.. Waiheke, Rangitoto, Rakino, and Kawau ~ and the super cool large 'hippie' Great Barrier Island aka 'Ayahuasca Island' more than 80kays east out into the Pacific from Auckland ~ and then to the upper north there is the AMAZING historic gum diggers Bay of Islands!! The Coromandel Peninsula historic gold mining area is also well worth visiting, including the Hot Water Beach . . where a hot water bathe in the wild sand is free, if you take along a spade..!
I am 23 minutes in your video and for the last 5-10 of them I have been hoping for the decision you took. It brings me all the way back to 2007 when I took my family to do an epic Califonria drive from San Fransisco to San Diego to celebrate my 50th birthday (hey, now you van calculate my age). My kids were 7 and 10 and had been looking forward to the two-day Disneyworld visit. The first day I was in chock of all the added cost that came once being inside after paying a hefty entrance fee and my kids begging for buying pins, ice cream, quick pass and whatever. Stoic and budget conscious I said no to most of it. Not a fun day. Before falling asleep that night I took the decision. to go all in the next day, which we did. And it turned out to be one of the very best days of the trip. I salute you for your decision and I have just now increased our budget a few steps up for the upcoming 5 week trip to NZ in March next year. But for now I will continue to enjoy your video - well done!
What a great video! And thank you for showing what this trip would 'really' look like on a budget! So many TH-camrs go from excursion to excursion and its just not realistic for most people.
It looks incredible there! Great work editing the video. The shots are beautiful and you made this long video entertaining! Thanks for all the hard work!
I really enjoyed this video for budget traveling and things to do in NZ. I definitely shared the Pic's peanut butter tour and the carrot park (hilarious) with my friend traveling there. So much great info from Bookme NZ, buying eggs from stands, the camping site 30-day passes, $3 steak, and learning about the redwood forest near Rotorua. I love the map that you have and how you show where you've driven each day. It's also cool how you tally up your daily expenses. I'm a stickler for that on trips too. It's awesome seeing you pronounce the Maori names of areas you visit. You do it so effortlessly. At least you're trying. Sorry you guys didn't get to go to Milford Sound. Bummer. But you guys made the most out of your lemons. They do tractor boat launches here in Alaska too. I haven't seen anywhere else that does it. Nice to do know the Abel Tasman has one too. Whew those gas prices in liters and NZD are cray cray! Seriously, I've taken so many notes and looked up stuff to do for my friend. Thanks bunches. At 32:45-33:35 - I really like that song. I couldn't find it on Shazam. If it's easy to find, what is the name of it? New sub.
I especially enjoyed watching this video, because (myself being a Kiwi), you visited a lot of places here in NZ, even TeMata Peak, its beautiful up there (I live in Napier, Art Deco Capital), and you both have definitely given me ideas, like hiring a small campervan and traveling the south island. Glad you both love our gorgeous country, so much to see and do..
Really enjoyed this entire video! The place where you got engaged is so, so beautiful! I can see how you could allow the love to fill you. That you asked and she said..."yes". So, so nice! Great job on the videography and editing. Loved it...
The most wholesome video I’ve watched from start to end - TY! The love you had for not only sassy but all the spots you visited here in Aotearoa. Trust you got home safety, thank you for enjoying your time here and hope you come back so we can bask in more adventures provided & 🤞🏼 you see an actual kiwi 😉
I’ve just discovered y’all’s channel. It’s really well done. Thank you for documenting travel in a wholesome way for our whole family to watch together. Great voiceover and narration.
Loved Lisa's Golem impressions. Loved the synergy of your co-operative efforts behind and in front of the camera to make this a truly wonderful production. I'm sure this video will be a source of happy memories in the future as you look back on time spent in Aotearoa. As a Maori person, I am grateful for the respect you showed for our native tongue - with your merit-deserving effort in researching pronunciation of a foreign (to you) language. Kia ora! I appreciated your careful consideration for your audience and felt like I was present there with you. By the end of the video I was just as attached to Sassy and Sunny as you guys were and I was sad to witness your final separation. I felt like a companion - fortunate to tag along. I got to love you two. Wish you well in future travels. Arohanui from this Kiwi!
Loved this movie style vlog! Reminded me of my own month in nz, right down to the drama of missing Milford Sound due to weather and it all ending up being perfect anyway. Love your authenticity. Looking forward to seeing where you go next!
As a kiwi, it brings me so much joy seeing you travelling round on a budget - I'm planning on travelling the south island this summer (haven't done so since I was 13 in 2003). We stayed in the DOC camps and camped in tents, so it's great to see you going to those campsites too. Even in summer it was freezing (I'm a fragile Aucklander). I can't help but comment that those pies have been in the warming drawer for about 12 hours, they'd be thermonuclear. But I hope they were good.
What a fantastic and refreshing post.🥰We are about to embark on a trip shortly and this gave us lots of hints and tips. It was so informative in a very down to earth and happy way. Thanks so much guys
Wow you guys. I've NEVER watched anything like this before. Especially being in my own country. I am born and bred and live in Wellington. I hope you loved our country as much as we loved having you. Welcome back ANYTIME! ❤
Kia ora, tēnā koe Lisa. Your effort in correctly pronouncing our place names was much appreciated! Your pronunciation was superb! Both of you were super respectful and genuine in your interests in our country (unlike many other TH-camrs). We hope you guys enjoyed your stay!
Thanks for sharing your journey! I visited New Zealand twice ( 3 months each trip). First time in 2012 I bus toured (bus pass) mostly on the north island. I've got friends who live on the South Island in Christchurch so I spent Christmas with them. I loved the south island much more so I decided to come back at the end of 2019 and left just before the pandemic of 2020. Second trip I bought a small van and did vanlife for 3 months. This is the BEST way to travel in New Zealand by far, so much freedom! Cost was not too much since I had bought the van and sold it to my friend when I left. Favorite places south.... Mt. Cook area, Arthur's Pass, Abel Tasman, Nelson, west coast. I did see Milford Sound both trips but honestly wasn't that impressed (price was waaaay too much $$$!). Favorite place north... Coromandel Peninsula, some really beautiful scenery!
Loved your video. Just completed an RTW with the family and understand the concept of being on a budget,traveling light and understanding you can’t do every little thing, but there are epic moments one should definitely consider spending money at the time. You both inspired us to complete the Camino and we were just one of a handful of families from SJPP to Santiago. Keep inspiring and moving along. “It’s not the time you are given that is important , but what you do with that time” … Something along those Gandolfian lines. 😂 Your restraint for LOR was amazing! And, the Spa adventure, I can totally relate :)
We just got back from spending 16 days in our camper van (billybob), on the south island. We absolutely LOVED NZ!!! Can’t wait to check out North Island and back to few of our favs on the South Island.
Best hour and forty min i spent. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip vicariously through you. Keep up the good work. I’ll buy you all coffee soon! Safe travels.
Loved taking the journey through our country..thank you guys..dont worry sassy is taking more amazing people on more amazing adventures and don't worry she will look after them also😊
Thanks for the video .watching through your video feels like I’m also traveling there .I can’t afford to travel there but through this video,it as if I’m going there in my mind 😊.Enjoy traveling
just wonderful ! i am usually not a fan of long youtube videos but I sat and made it as my movie night film to see and it was just amazing ... i love your edits , montage , commentary , your choices on the road, and especially the food now even the ones you make out of a van. i am soooo envious of your trip . I cant wait to be able to see NZ. Keep them coming . sending warm wishes for always safe travels from jeddah saudi arabia .
New Zealand is amazing isn’t it, I think we were there around the same time you were…we spent 23 days just in the north island and were probably in Taupo and Mt Maunganui at a similar time as I remember where we were when that rugby match was on! We can’t wait to get back there either!
The last camp site in the Marlborough Sounds is just down the road from mum and dad's house. 🤗 You camped a bit further up by a bridge and cafe and took an angled down sot of the river there which was also a shot used in LoTR too.
Love this video. You guys are amazing. Be safe and please continue sharing awesome videos like this. You are so blessed to have each other. Always remember to keep each other safe and happy.
Amazing Job guys!. I’m really loving your channel. I am now a loyal LJ subscriber. I love how in depth you go and how you break everything down for the viewer. I’m definitely gonna incorporate a lot of your tips and tricks into my channel. Also I love y’all’s relationship I long for the day I can also be so lucky. I am confident we will cross paths soon! Keep Inspiring!! -RL ChasingSunsets 😎✌🏻🌅
Thank you for the time you spent filming and editing this video! I’m going on a 4 week trip in the next couple of weeks & this has helped me to nail down a few ideas and get me excited to go!
Ooh, gotta love a good sausage sizzle, it's a big weekend tradition in Bunnings in Australia too. Wow! So happy to see Lake Tekapo in the flesh, I sell accomodation stays there in my day job but have yet to visit... soon, I hope. Lisa's impressions of Gollum? Hilarious 🤣 And Josh, your tribute to Sassy near the end brought a tear to my eye. Great video guys!
As a born and bred Kiwi (New Zealander) I have absolutely LOVED watching this with my husband - In fact we are doing a tour around the North Island this coming Summer 2024/2025 with our 3 kids (We are from the West Coast of the South Island) and you have given us some awesome insights that we wouldn't have even considered (DOC campsite pass!!!) So thank you!!!
Great video. For your next trip you will have to include the Coromandel peninsula and the far north of the north island. Best in summer so you can enjoy the endless beaches.
I spent 3 months in 2013 in a little Mazda Bongo (called Keith), driving from Christchurch around the opposite direction to you, then up to the North island. It is truly one of my fondest lasting memories! New Zealand truly gets into your pores. Petrol was considerably cheaper then about $60NZ. To fill up
them giving you those 2 pies for free was really honest, they were nearly closing and probably those last pies have been in the warmer for a long time, there is humanity left in this world thanks to the the store for showing us some heart.
I stumbled on your guys’ TH-cam channel trying to learn more about travels on a budget…your videos are awesome! Has anyone ever told Josh he looks like Patrick Wilson the Hollywood actor? 🙂
I love how much fun you guys had here! I wish I’d known you were here - would have been cool to meet up for a coffee, even just at the airport before you left… I’ve followed your travels for a long time! I love how much you loved the fish and chips and the pies, how affordable you thought steaks were… (I can’t afford them haha but if you think they’re affordable then I can’t imagine how much they cost in other places around the world!!!) Also, the ‘kiwi’ you saw… 😂 it’s funny because despite having lives here all 40 years of my life, I’ve never seen a kiwi in the wild (I’ve heard them!) and maybe only seen one once or twice in my life at the zoo…. So I saw your footage… and was kinda like… huh…. Is that a kiwi? I don’t know… I thought it looked a little tall and it’s beak wasn’t quite right… but I was like, yeah, ok. When Lisa said it was a Weka, I cracked up. Because I should have known that. If you go to Kauwau Island (north of a Auckland, you catch a ferry from a ti t place called Sandspit) the place is absolutely covered in those birds….. I’ve helped run a dozen school camps over there and the welsh are always there, underfoot… so I really should have recognised it! Like I said, I’m so glad that NZ put on a good show for you, and that you got to do most of what you wanted to do. Also… yay Pics Peanut Butter (definitely the best in the world) and also, congrats to both of you for the INCREDIBLE pronunciation of Māori words… epic. We hope to see you back soon.
I traveled the south island of New Zealand for 6 weeks in a 7.5 metre motorhome. I traveled in June and July and for ten consecutive nights in ten different motor-camps I was the only person. It was great, no waiting for anything 🙂 I was traveling alone and between the cost of rental for the motorhome , insurance, motor-camp fees, fuel, food, entrance fees for attractions and general spending cash I was spending an average of $380 per day. New Zealand is quite expensive but such an amazingly beautiful country and I loved the climate, so fresh!!!
Hey Lisa and Josh. It was really fun watching your video today. It was really awesome to know so many places, especially in south island. My husband worked there for 1.5 years and he was all the time telling me i've been to this place and it was fun to see him enjoy like that. Btw we live in Hamilton and i have not explored most of the places so after seeing your video it feels like going for an adventure and we will definitely do that maybe this year.
One of my favorite things about you guys: how you interact with the camera. You don't have "camera voices" - you just talk, like we're there with you. You're so joyful and funny. I legit feel like I'm there in the van eating gnocchi!!
I agreed :)
Loved watching you guys on this New Zealand adventure. Was good to see a couple just being themselves.
This channel is the most mindfulness and gratitude oriented channel that I've ever come across and I love it.
I must say it's rather impressive how successfully you guys navigated the pronunciation of New Zealand place names, and it's clear that you did some research at some point because you don't fall into any of the traps with stress placement that most visitors do. Almost every video I watch of American visitors will include them saying "wa-NA-ka" (and "ku-MA-ra"), but you guys correctly put the stress on the first syllable, which the Pākehā pronunciation does to emulate the Māori long vowel (Wānaka). And often your pronunciation was more accurate to the Māori pronunciation than most Kiwis can manage, so your care and effort is definitely noticed and appreciated. ❤
I'm also super glad that you guys got to check out Te Papa, which most people ignore because they assume it'll just be your typical snooze-fest museum exhibiting all its stolen artefacts, but Te Papa is truly unlike any other museum and emphasises making its educational value as accessible as possible, which it does in partnership with local indigenous groups. Hopefully more people will be inspired by your video to make the stop in Wellington at least for Te Papa (which admittedly, doesn't have a whole lot else on offer), rather than just skipping over it on their way to or from the ferry. 🙏
:)
No need to even give a thought about it. We are an english country.,
Wow!! What an incredible video! Im a kiwi and wouldn’t usually watch a video of my own country but viewing it though your eyes makes me so incredibly proud to be a New Zealander ! After seeing you in Havelock walking Te Mata Peak I was praaaaaying you’d stop in Napier as it truely is beautiful! Hawkes bay is my home town and I absolutely love it here! Thank you so much for show casing how beautiful our country is and the immense respect you showed our land!
If you ever come back, I’ll be more than happy to show you around some gem spots here and we could even put a traditional hangi on for you both ♥️
It's so gorgeous!
Right? …..and here I am, a Maori living in the White Mountains of Northern New Hampshire……go figure
I agreed :)
Really well made video! Not sure how this doesn't have a million views already. Thanks for making this channel. I really enjoy it!
Lisa & Josh, to you I humbly offer my Standing Ovation & gratitude! Well done indeed!
Lisa and Josh, thank you so much, yet again, for taking me and many others with you both on your wonderful trip through New Zealand. I cried, because of laughter, and I cried because of sadness (especially when you had to say goodbye to Sassy). You both are a true inspiration to make the best of life and stay positive even when it's pouring down with rain 🙂 and be grateful for the good things that are happening. Can't wait for your next adventure, but for now: Thank you from the Netherlands.
I love how you guys interact to each other, your travel destinations and the camera. It feels so natural. Thx!
Hey guys, we kiwi's and came across ur South Island video. I've been in nz 48 yrs and I've never done a trip like yours until this Feb 2024 we r doing 30 days in the SI. Yeehaa . 😁
Loved watching ur video and adventures , we took notes and have tweaked our itinerary. Thank u. U two are very genuine and humble , two traits us kiwis find admirable and warm to.
We have subscribed so can watch more of your vids. Take care and have fun making memories!!
John and Sue
Funny, I was at first confused about the use of the word 'kiwi". Yes indeed, you wonderful people in this awesome place call yourselves kiwi's + the word also refers the the kiwi bird + the word also refers to the kiwi fruit. It's a little confusing at first to us outsiders. I'm half a world away right now in America (at this very moment) enjoying some kiwi fruit imported from New Zealand... it is absolutely delicious!!
Thanks, Lisa and Josh, for bringing back my old memories from New Zealand. I love Aotearoa, the most beautiful land ever. I lived there for two years. I miss everything and everyone from N Z.
I never imagined seeing a place that rivaled the beauty of Alaska. And then you shared your amazing 3 week camper van adventure in New Zealand. Love the joy of your interaction with the camera and each other. Excellent editing and post-production. 👏
We are from Australia and have been watch you from the start. This is the very best video you have produced and we loved every minute. So happy that you move love pies and Pics peanut butter as that’s my fave too. So happy that you also caught up with Cheveyo and Tia as well. Much love and don’t ever stop!!!! Pete and fam. ❤❤❤
What a amazing Vlog. I don't tend to watch travel Vlogs of Aotearoa as I was born and bred here but this just came up and I watched from begining to end. I feel so inspired ❤Keep up the amazing work you two 😸
I've just started doing travel research for our NZ trip and am SO glad I found this vlog! I've now watched several, and honestly this is the only one I've truly enjoyed. It is so well put together and so natural! Thanks for all the tips, budget-friendly angle, and fun!
Thank you for sharing your beatiful adventure with us! I truly enjoyed it, it was an inspiration. Yeah Sassy! I hope Sunny is still alive. ☺
Absolutely loved that you guys made your way to Aotearoa New Zealand. I hope you both enjoyed your trip. Your videos helped alot with my current trip to South Korea and Japan. Would have loved to introduce you guys to a bit of Māori culture and traditions. Next time maybe 😊
We had the best time :) and so glad to hear they helped, hope you had a great time in Korea and Japan! Would love that next time!!! We’d love to learn more about Māori culture!
Been planning my north island solo road trip adventure for a while now and this video gave me A LOT of insight. I also don’t normally watch YT videos this long but I was hooked. Thankyou! 🎉❤
Hi, a real Kiwi here lol, I live just south of Taupo and lived in NZ all my life. I so enjoyed this video, both your characters are so positive and loveable. I gotta say you really copped some unsettled weather along a lot of your trip which is very typical for September and October here. The summer months make this country a very different place with all the lakes and beaches glistening in sunshine most days for 4 months. If you like the cooler temps but plenty of sunshine without winds come in the autumn, March and April when we have the most settled and calm sheer stunning days you will find anywhere. I wish you's lived here, you would fit right in.
That was such an enjoyable road trip. To experience the sights from the van and listen to the dialogue from the companions repeating a trip I did over 30 years ago with my young family, was so much fun. Thank you and again Thank you.
Stainless steel pans can be difficult but once you get how to use them they are freaking awesome. I’ve just bought a few.
1) pre-heat on max until a splash of water will bead around the pan.
2) turn down to medium.
3) add fats/oils then food.
The pan basically can not be too hot or too cold otherwise things will burn/stick into the micro-crevices of the pan.
Enjoy your no-stick pan without the chemicals of normal no-stick coatings. Clean with steel scourer if needed. Easy maintenance and last forever!
mate wtf ar you talkin about, noone fkn does that😆
It was so beautiful to see these wonderful places in New Zealand through your eyes. Great video. Thank you!!
I just loved this. You took me on the journey with you. When it finished & I looked around at my lounge room i was so disappointed. I really did go along for the ride. Wonderful editing, very funny in parts, stunning scenery of course but you two just make it very enjoyable to watch. Inspired me to plan my trip& get fish n chips for DINNER!!!! ❤😊
It was really great to see Aotearoa from outsider eyes. I'm glad you loved it ❤
Guys I loved every bit of this movie length vlog! I smiled (and at times giggled) through it because I could relate. It’s been years since my last visit and I long to travel there again. It’s so beautiful. My first was as a single young woman on one of those 3 week bus trips for young people…like Contiki, but it wasn’t Contiki. Then in 2007 for 3 weeks again in a motor home as a family of 5. Best family holiday ever! The first time was in March with relatively good weather. The second during the NSW (Australia) school holidays in October and the weather was similar to yours. Fortunately, I got lucky both times getting on a Milford sound cruise AND in fine weather as well. Looking forward to watching where you are heading next?
Kia ora koutou e te whānau! I grew up 20 minutes from Hobbiton.. I now live in the UK but miss NZ so much. Thanks for the nostalgia trip 😊
Yep, Te Papa museum is something special. The "Gallipoli: The scale of our war" exhibition is amazing.
Be sure to put your hands into the water provided following the Gallipoli trail... to each their own but the heaviness of sorrow lifts off ❤
This trip was inspiring! I love your budget concept and it’s given me some content and travel ideas for sure! I also love that you went to supermarkets and cooked a lot of meals, that’s the true spirit of road trip in a trailer! I’d absolutely love to visit New Zealand but it may be a few years before we can get there due to our long term travel plans. Your video was incredible!
We went to Lake Taupo area of NZ for our honeymoon the first week of October knowing it would be early spring. We packed a lot of shorts, t’s and tanks as we were heading to Australia next. The weather forecast was fair but when we got there, BRRRRRRR. We learned a bit of a lesson with our budgeting especially since we had a tight budget but Ike you said, we were halfway around the world. There was more to see than anticipated and we decided that we would do it all and sacrifice the small stuff like store bought beers and chips if it meant we could see and do cool stuff. We ate pasta for a few months when we got home but we have NEVER regretted it:)
You two are a breath of fresh air! Appreciate your down to earth honesty, ability to deal with the unexpected, and the reality of travel costs. It was great watching two ordinary people (not model perfect folk ) not wearing designer sportswear, give a great insight on what to expect. Your photography and video skills are wonderful! Your video really excited us for our trip next week. Must admit your trip seemed to have worked out better than I thought considering you didn't do much planning in advance. Thank you and Happy Travels wherever you are. Pat from Los Angeles : )
Why do you guys always make me smile and chuckle? So great to have you travelling again . I so want to see New Zealand and on the scale of things I live so close. I must try to get there one day. "You can hear the howl of a sedentary gypsy".......!!!!!!! Have another brilliant trip, Cheers, Muffy from Oz (Australia)
Great video! Thanks for sharing!! Love Josh’s narration voice! Love the way you guys communicate and respect each other! Incredible views!
Lovely to bump into you at Lake Rotoiti. Funnily enough I first came across your videos when I was researching the Camino Portugues, which is where I started my six months of travel, and I ended it in New Zealand.
This reminded me of my 2 week trip in South Island in 2008. Thanks for sharing your incredible journey and bringing back memories. I went through my photos from the trip and it was a joy to recall my entire trip. I hope I can make it back to NZ one day and make more memories with videos as well.
Fantastic video. You didn't let the weather stop you from enjoying your adventure. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences 🙂
Omg Josh and Lisa , both you are so blessed , it's extremely difficult to see the shy nocturnal kiwi in NZ ...
Ooops
Superb video , brought back so many memories , Wanaka , Queenstown , Franz Josef , Mt Cook , Te Anau
Watching every minute of this! And loving it! YES! Can't wait to follow you both in New Zealand!
Absolutely loved watching this video..Brings back so many memories of our campervan trips..Was stoked when you passed Sonny on to Tia will enjoy following Sonnys journey as I follow Tia and Cheveyo on their NZ adventures
I really enjoyed this and I'm from NZ. Interesting hearing a visitors perspective, and Josh is a comedian.
Awesome tails of your adventures in NZ, sorry the weather wasn’t better for you. I recognised your friends at the end there, I’m following the journey through the country as well, well done video guys..
Thank you both for sharing. You are a great couple and your team work is exemplary! NZ is absolutely beautiful. ☘️💕
this is the only channel on TH-cam where I watch an almost 2 hour video (basically a movie) and am totally immersed the entire time! very well done ❤
So good ! ! ! Guys~if you come back again later you could always do the other 'smaller' islands ~ Stewart in the south, Chatham to the east, Pitt a little further out from there ~ Kapiti in the west ~ Mokoia in the middle ~ a bunch out from Auckland.. Waiheke, Rangitoto, Rakino, and Kawau ~ and the super cool large 'hippie' Great Barrier Island aka 'Ayahuasca Island' more than 80kays east out into the Pacific from Auckland ~ and then to the upper north there is the AMAZING historic gum diggers Bay of Islands!! The Coromandel Peninsula historic gold mining area is also well worth visiting, including the Hot Water Beach . . where a hot water bathe in the wild sand is free, if you take along a spade..!
Lisa and Josh, l thoroughly enjoyed watching this epic adventure, not boring at all, love, love, loved it. Love from Australia xx
I am 23 minutes in your video and for the last 5-10 of them I have been hoping for the decision you took.
It brings me all the way back to 2007 when I took my family to do an epic Califonria drive from San Fransisco to San Diego to celebrate my 50th birthday (hey, now you van calculate my age). My kids were 7 and 10 and had been looking forward to the two-day Disneyworld visit. The first day I was in chock of all the added cost that came once being inside after paying a hefty entrance fee and my kids begging for buying pins, ice cream, quick pass and whatever. Stoic and budget conscious I said no to most of it. Not a fun day. Before falling asleep that night I took the decision. to go all in the next day, which we did. And it turned out to be one of the very best days of the trip.
I salute you for your decision and I have just now increased our budget a few steps up for the upcoming 5 week trip to NZ in March next year.
But for now I will continue to enjoy your video - well done!
Hello, Do you like travelling?
It looks incredible there! Great work editing the video.
What a great video! And thank you for showing what this trip would 'really' look like on a budget! So many TH-camrs go from excursion to excursion and its just not realistic for most people.
It looks incredible there! Great work editing the video. The shots are beautiful and you made this long video entertaining! Thanks for all the hard work!
Miss this trip...my last visit to NZ from north to south is 2019 before the pandemic. The nature was so stunning 😍.
absolute perfect timing. off on a working holiday to NZ on the 21st November! thanks for all the inspo
Such a sight for nature lovers.. I don't mind waking up to those views every day (minus the freezing cold haha)
I love the joy they got from their visit from a cheeky short-nosed daytime Kiwi.
I really enjoyed this video for budget traveling and things to do in NZ. I definitely shared the Pic's peanut butter tour and the carrot park (hilarious) with my friend traveling there.
So much great info from Bookme NZ, buying eggs from stands, the camping site 30-day passes, $3 steak, and learning about the redwood forest near Rotorua.
I love the map that you have and how you show where you've driven each day. It's also cool how you tally up your daily expenses. I'm a stickler for that on trips too.
It's awesome seeing you pronounce the Maori names of areas you visit. You do it so effortlessly. At least you're trying.
Sorry you guys didn't get to go to Milford Sound. Bummer. But you guys made the most out of your lemons.
They do tractor boat launches here in Alaska too. I haven't seen anywhere else that does it. Nice to do know the Abel Tasman has one too.
Whew those gas prices in liters and NZD are cray cray!
Seriously, I've taken so many notes and looked up stuff to do for my friend. Thanks bunches.
At 32:45-33:35 - I really like that song. I couldn't find it on Shazam. If it's easy to find, what is the name of it?
New sub.
Wanaka, I stayed there for a few days and loved the town and the scenery.
I especially enjoyed watching this video, because (myself being a Kiwi), you visited a lot of places here in NZ, even TeMata Peak, its beautiful up there (I live in Napier, Art Deco Capital), and you both have definitely given me ideas, like hiring a small campervan and traveling the south island. Glad you both love our gorgeous country, so much to see and do..
Really enjoyed this entire video! The place where you got engaged is so, so beautiful! I can see how you could allow the love to fill you. That you asked and she said..."yes". So, so nice! Great job on the videography and editing. Loved it...
The most wholesome video I’ve watched from start to end - TY! The love you had for not only sassy but all the spots you visited here in Aotearoa. Trust you got home safety, thank you for enjoying your time here and hope you come back so we can bask in more adventures provided & 🤞🏼 you see an actual kiwi 😉
I’ve just discovered y’all’s channel. It’s really well done. Thank you for documenting travel in a wholesome way for our whole family to watch together. Great voiceover and narration.
Loved Lisa's Golem impressions. Loved the synergy of your co-operative efforts behind and in front of the camera to make this a truly wonderful production. I'm sure this video will be a source of happy memories in the future as you look back on time spent in Aotearoa. As a Maori person, I am grateful for the respect you showed for our native tongue - with your merit-deserving effort in researching pronunciation of a foreign (to you) language. Kia ora!
I appreciated your careful consideration for your audience and felt like I was present there with you. By the end of the video I was just as attached to Sassy and Sunny as you guys were and I was sad to witness your final separation. I felt like a companion - fortunate to tag along. I got to love you two. Wish you well in future travels. Arohanui from this Kiwi!
Loved this movie style vlog! Reminded me of my own month in nz, right down to the drama of missing Milford Sound due to weather and it all ending up being perfect anyway. Love your authenticity. Looking forward to seeing where you go next!
This is so cool. I have lived here my whole life but never left the north island. This video makes me want to prioritise getting down south.
As a kiwi, it brings me so much joy seeing you travelling round on a budget - I'm planning on travelling the south island this summer (haven't done so since I was 13 in 2003). We stayed in the DOC camps and camped in tents, so it's great to see you going to those campsites too. Even in summer it was freezing (I'm a fragile Aucklander). I can't help but comment that those pies have been in the warming drawer for about 12 hours, they'd be thermonuclear. But I hope they were good.
Are you a Kiwi or an Aucklander? Two different things lmao.
@@pblchldy8082 oh, you're one of those people who like to complain about Aucklanders.
@@kateh6549 I was born and raised in Auckland...I have every right to say what Aucklanders are like luckily I moved far away from that place.
@@pblchldy8082 I was also born and raised in Auckland, so I have every right to say what Aucklanders are like.
@@kateh6549 no one said you can't lol....
I've watched this more than once and just adore it. I've shared your channel with friends and fam. Oh the joy you spread!
What a fantastic and refreshing post.🥰We are about to embark on a trip shortly and this gave us lots of hints and tips. It was so informative in a very down to earth and happy way. Thanks so much guys
Wow you guys. I've NEVER watched anything like this before. Especially being in my own country. I am born and bred and live in Wellington. I hope you loved our country as much as we loved having you. Welcome back ANYTIME! ❤
THANK YOU!! :) this makes us really happy to hear
Kia ora, tēnā koe Lisa. Your effort in correctly pronouncing our place names was much appreciated! Your pronunciation was superb! Both of you were super respectful and genuine in your interests in our country (unlike many other TH-camrs). We hope you guys enjoyed your stay!
Beautiful video. Loved, loved, LOVED it! Even though you went beyond your budget I have no doubt that it was well worth it. Thank you for sharing.
Wow. Watched this all yesterday. It went by in a flash. Loved it ! Thanks so much for posting 🙂
Thanks for sharing your journey! I visited New Zealand twice ( 3 months each trip). First time in 2012 I bus toured (bus pass) mostly on the north island. I've got friends who live on the South Island in Christchurch so I spent Christmas with them. I loved the south island much more so I decided to come back at the end of 2019 and left just before the pandemic of 2020. Second trip I bought a small van and did vanlife for 3 months. This is the BEST way to travel in New Zealand by far, so much freedom! Cost was not too much since I had bought the van and sold it to my friend when I left. Favorite places south.... Mt. Cook area, Arthur's Pass, Abel Tasman, Nelson, west coast. I did see Milford Sound both trips but honestly wasn't that impressed (price was waaaay too much $$$!). Favorite place north... Coromandel Peninsula, some really beautiful scenery!
Loved your video. Just completed an RTW with the family and understand the concept of being on a budget,traveling light and understanding you can’t do every little thing, but there are epic moments one should definitely consider spending money at the time. You both inspired us to complete the Camino and we were just one of a handful of families from SJPP to Santiago. Keep inspiring and moving along.
“It’s not the time you are given that is important , but what you do with that time” … Something along those Gandolfian lines. 😂 Your restraint for LOR was amazing! And, the Spa adventure, I can totally relate :)
Your voices are so satisfying and your personalities are so electric and raw. Somehow you guys got me attached to a van.
I absolutely LOVED watching this so much. You are both beautiful souls and made me fall in love with New Zealand all over again.
So much scenery in this video you guys get the most amazing shots
We just got back from spending 16 days in our camper van (billybob), on the south island. We absolutely LOVED NZ!!! Can’t wait to check out North Island and back to few of our favs on the South Island.
Best hour and forty min i spent. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip vicariously through you. Keep up the good work. I’ll buy you all coffee soon! Safe travels.
Awesome watch. The Toyota Hiace is such a trusty steed for many Vanlifers here in nz and I hope the world.
Loved taking the journey through our country..thank you guys..dont worry sassy is taking more amazing people on more amazing adventures and don't worry she will look after them also😊
Thanks for the video .watching through your video feels like I’m also traveling there .I can’t afford to travel there but through this video,it as if I’m going there in my mind 😊.Enjoy traveling
just wonderful ! i am usually not a fan of long youtube videos but I sat and made it as my movie night film to see and it was just amazing ... i love your edits , montage , commentary , your choices on the road, and especially the food now even the ones you make out of a van. i am soooo envious of your trip . I cant wait to be able to see NZ. Keep them coming . sending warm wishes for always safe travels from jeddah saudi arabia .
New Zealand is amazing isn’t it, I think we were there around the same time you were…we spent 23 days just in the north island and were probably in Taupo and Mt Maunganui at a similar time as I remember where we were when that rugby match was on! We can’t wait to get back there either!
I live in nz and this video has been so amazing. Loved every minute of it. ❤ thank you for taking the time to show us your adventure
The last camp site in the Marlborough Sounds is just down the road from mum and dad's house. 🤗
You camped a bit further up by a bridge and cafe and took an angled down sot of the river there which was also a shot used in LoTR too.
Love this video. You guys are amazing. Be safe and please continue sharing awesome videos like this. You are so blessed to have each other. Always remember to keep each other safe and happy.
Amazing Job guys!. I’m really loving your channel. I am now a loyal LJ subscriber. I love how in depth you go and how you break everything down for the viewer. I’m definitely gonna incorporate a lot of your tips and tricks into my channel. Also I love y’all’s relationship I long for the day I can also be so lucky. I am confident we will cross paths soon! Keep Inspiring!! -RL ChasingSunsets 😎✌🏻🌅
Thank you for the time you spent filming and editing this video! I’m going on a 4 week trip in the next couple of weeks & this has helped me to nail down a few ideas and get me excited to go!
I really enjoyed travelling with the two of you. Our children live in NZ and I love seeïng the country . Enjoy your travels!
I literally just found your channel…you had me at wine in a box in mugs…❤ I look forward to all of your adventures and catching up on your past videos
Ooh, gotta love a good sausage sizzle, it's a big weekend tradition in Bunnings in Australia too. Wow! So happy to see Lake Tekapo in the flesh, I sell accomodation stays there in my day job but have yet to visit... soon, I hope. Lisa's impressions of Gollum? Hilarious 🤣 And Josh, your tribute to Sassy near the end brought a tear to my eye. Great video guys!
As a born and bred Kiwi (New Zealander) I have absolutely LOVED watching this with my husband - In fact we are doing a tour around the North Island this coming Summer 2024/2025 with our 3 kids (We are from the West Coast of the South Island) and you have given us some awesome insights that we wouldn't have even considered (DOC campsite pass!!!) So thank you!!!
Great video. For your next trip you will have to include the Coromandel peninsula and the far north of the north island. Best in summer so you can enjoy the endless beaches.
Just found your video. I went to New Zealand 2023 and it was magical. I loved seeing it again through your experience. ❤
Thanks guys Enjoyed your video camping tour !! good to see you enjoying your stay. Come back again soon!!
Lisa and Josh I REALLY enjoyed this vid..the clip with Lisa's review of the last sake taste hilarious...thanks for sharing
I spent 3 months in 2013 in a little Mazda Bongo (called Keith), driving from Christchurch around the opposite direction to you, then up to the North island. It is truly one of my fondest lasting memories! New Zealand truly gets into your pores. Petrol was considerably cheaper then about $60NZ. To fill up
them giving you those 2 pies for free was really honest, they were nearly closing and probably those last pies have been in the warmer for a long time, there is humanity left in this world thanks to the the store for showing us some heart.
I stumbled on your guys’ TH-cam channel trying to learn more about travels on a budget…your videos are awesome!
Has anyone ever told Josh he looks like Patrick Wilson the Hollywood actor? 🙂
Love this video New Zealand looks lovely and your such a sensible practical couple thank you for sharing xx
Awesome video! Thoroughly enjoyed traveling with you guys from our couch😁 you two are wonderful! Thank you for treating us to such wonderful sights!
I love how much fun you guys had here! I wish I’d known you were here - would have been cool to meet up for a coffee, even just at the airport before you left… I’ve followed your travels for a long time! I love how much you loved the fish and chips and the pies, how affordable you thought steaks were… (I can’t afford them haha but if you think they’re affordable then I can’t imagine how much they cost in other places around the world!!!)
Also, the ‘kiwi’ you saw… 😂 it’s funny because despite having lives here all 40 years of my life, I’ve never seen a kiwi in the wild (I’ve heard them!) and maybe only seen one once or twice in my life at the zoo…. So I saw your footage… and was kinda like… huh…. Is that a kiwi? I don’t know… I thought it looked a little tall and it’s beak wasn’t quite right… but I was like, yeah, ok. When Lisa said it was a Weka, I cracked up. Because I should have known that. If you go to Kauwau Island (north of a Auckland, you catch a ferry from a ti t place called Sandspit) the place is absolutely covered in those birds….. I’ve helped run a dozen school camps over there and the welsh are always there, underfoot… so I really should have recognised it!
Like I said, I’m so glad that NZ put on a good show for you, and that you got to do most of what you wanted to do.
Also… yay Pics Peanut Butter (definitely the best in the world) and also, congrats to both of you for the INCREDIBLE pronunciation of Māori words… epic.
We hope to see you back soon.
I traveled the south island of New Zealand for 6 weeks in a 7.5 metre motorhome. I traveled in June and July and for ten consecutive nights in ten different motor-camps I was the only person. It was great, no waiting for anything 🙂
I was traveling alone and between the cost of rental for the motorhome , insurance, motor-camp fees, fuel, food, entrance fees for attractions and general spending cash I was spending an average of $380 per day. New Zealand is quite expensive but such an amazingly beautiful country and I loved the climate, so fresh!!!
Hey Lisa and Josh. It was really fun watching your video today. It was really awesome to know so many places, especially in south island. My husband worked there for 1.5 years and he was all the time telling me i've been to this place and it was fun to see him enjoy like that. Btw we live in Hamilton and i have not explored most of the places so after seeing your video it feels like going for an adventure and we will definitely do that maybe this year.