It was cherished childhood holiday memories combined with a post-Covid reluctance to stay in hotels that inspired Ōmokoroa couple Andrew and Sandra Easton to buy their own caravan.

“It was almost three years ago, and when everyone started travelling again after lockdown it was hard to get accommodation,” says Sandra.

“We’d outgrown tenting life, though, and wanted a bit more comfort so we bought a caravan.”

“It was also a good excuse to get the extended family together,” says Andrew, who also has adult children from a previous relationship.

“We had a gathering in October [this year] where we had the big kids and their partners turn up, so we put them in tents and Alyssa was in the caravan with us.

"We’ve stayed in flash resorts but still prefer relaxing in our own caravan.”

Easier 

“It’s much easier to pack up a caravan than a tent,” adds Sandra.

“When we get home, we just give it a quick clean and vacuum and it’s ready for the next time.

"With a tent, if it gets wet, you need to dry it all out and if it’s just for a couple of nights away, it feels like a lot of work.”

Andrew and Sandra also prefer the caravan over a campervan.

“We like the idea of being able to park it and then still drive away for groceries or whatever,” says Andrew. 

“With a motorhome, you need to unplug it, pack up and then parking can get interesting.

"If you’ve got a good vehicle, it’s a lot cheaper to buy a good caravan."

“We go to Waihī Beach a lot and the caravan is around one-third of the price of an apartment. We also know what we’re getting when we go.

"We can start packing a week before, then just drive over, plug it in and relax.”

“The longest we’ve been away is seven nights at Ōhope,” says Sandra.

“We don’t go too far away. I’m not big on road trips, to be honest.

"I’m Scottish and in the UK, we would fly everywhere.

"We’ve even stayed at the Mount a couple of times and that was really nice.”

Sandra Easton, daughter Alyssa, 8, and father Andrew Easton love time away in their caravan. Photo: Deb Griffiths.

Off-grid 

Their eight-metre-long caravan has central heating, a full bathroom, kitchen complete with an oven, skylights and solar panels to enable them to go off-grid. There’s plenty of storage under the queen-sized bed and the dining space can be converted into a double bed.

“Alyssa’s made lots of friends on holidays and we keep in touch with them,” says Sandra.

“It’s more social and relaxed at campgrounds.”

“We really enjoy it,” says Andrew.

“The caravan’s been a great investment.

"We have the freedom to decide on a Friday afternoon that we want to get out of town, so we just go.

"It’s the enjoyment factor and you can’t really put a price on that.”