Five tips for your next road trip

Just when it was seeming like the never ending winter, I peered out the window this morning and saw the first bloom of my spring bulbs out.  That means summer is on the way and it will soon be the perfect opportunity for a road trip.

Some of the most precious memories I have are of new sights, discovering hidden gems and endless laughs in the car while on trips taken on whim.  To make your road trip even better than you thought possible use these tips to help you on you way.

Make a plan ... but keep it flexible

Plan where you are going to end up at the end of each day but be ready to stop along the way, poke into places that aren't on the tourist map and spend longer in places that take your fancy.  A plan can be great, but a rigid one doesn't allow for any freedoms.

Pack to a minimum, it gives you room to collect

We always take so much more than what we need anyway, so this time, try something different, only take half of what you think you will need and you will have more room to bring back the discoveries in tiny antique shops and crafts from the local markets that you otherwise may not have had room for.  You may need to hire a storage unit when you get back, but those are the breaks!

Do pack the 'just in case' bottle of wine

For that unexpected sunset on the little beach you stayed too long at or the mountain range that would be perfect if only you had remembered the picnic, be good scout and be prepared.

Take loads of pictures

One of my favourite road trip albums is not from where we stopped but a long trip in the car on the back roads of Sri Lanka where to alleviate the boredom I began taking photos to amuse myself and the kids (the driver thought I was mad) of the oncoming trucks and cars of Sri Lanka that always swerved at the last minute.  Not only did it keep the kids and I amused but the album created lasting memories.

On-board Entertainment

If you have packed really light, you may need to let your inner child loose in the car and make some games up.  If not have pre-loaded music playlists ready, books, magnetic board games and create trip trivia games with kids in the car.

Above all, have fun, explore new places and try new things.

Could you put a Property Price on these 7 Weird and Wonderful homes of NZ?

When the mood kicks in it is always great to escape out of Auckland and do a road trip.  When you take your time I have always been astounded by the scope of weird and wonderful architecture in unexpected pockets of the country.  

A home fit for a princess

When I was little I always wanted to be a princess,  with its own turret I could have pretended to be Rapunzel in Larnach Castle, a real castle right here in New Zealand.

Star Wars

My little brothers however were far more into Star Wars and this home which was feature of a recent Trademe Competition would have created a space of their own and  transported them to a galaxy far far away.  

Old Mother Hubbard could have lived here

The boot house down in Nelson is a dream come true for all the little kids who dream of living a nursery rhyme life.  A house like this deserves to be full of happy laughing children climbing all over the top and sliding down the sides!

 The life of a Gypsy

When I got a little bit older it the travel bug kicked in and I would have dearly loved one of these gypsy house trucks to live the life of an adventurer to travel the length of New Zealand.

The Hobbit Hole

Down in Rotorua we discovered a hobbit lover has built their own wonderful hobbit hole to while away the days in.  Lucky for us our son has never seen this or the star wars house or I think we would be forced to pack up a moving van and move out of Auckland in a heartbeat!

The famous Tirau Dog

It's not a house but if it ever came up for sale the Visitor Information centre in Tirau would make the most incredible house for all the dog lovers out there, whenever we drive on through I quickly distract my dog loving daughter so we are forced to stop and take the never ending doggy photos.  

Oh to live a life by the sea

Home to the poet Sam Hunt for many a year, when I used to travel regularly to Wellington for business often, I always coveted the charming boatsheds all around the Wellington Coastline.  Though years later I eventually got my wish to live by the sea in the wild west coast of Auckland, I would have much preferred on of these to a sterile hotel room any day.