What comes with the vehicle?

Below is a list of all the extras that come with our vehicles. The only things you need to bring are sleeping bags, pillow cases and towels - everything else is provided.

• Snorkel
• 31 inch Mud Tyres
• Off road Sat Nav
• Personal Locator Beacon and Emergency Satellite Phone Text - Garmin InReach (optional)
• Stereo with Aux / Bluetooth input and CD
• Deluxe folding Roof Tent
• Pillows (no cases)
• Tent lighting
• LED Camping Lamp
• Fitted rear drawers
• Deluxe double gas stove & gas bottle
• Esky 30 Litre Chilly bin / cooler
• Cups, mugs and beakers
• Knives, forks, spoons, plates, bowls etc
• Can-opener
• Frying pan, pots, wooden spoons etc
• Camping Table
• Camping Chairs
• 20 litre Water container
• Cafetiere / Coffee Plunger
• Washing up bowl and cleaning equipment
• First-aid kit
• Toolkit
• Fuel Container
• Tow rope
• Jump Leads

Extras to hire

Mountain bikes are $15 a day each.

Surf Boards are $10 a day.

A 2 person ground tent.

Tent Annexs on request.

Extra costs

Cleaning fee $95

One way rental fee $300

All prices in the booking system include all taxes, GST and Road User Charges. There are no extra charges.

Can you help me plan a route and itinerary?

Yes! We help you plan your route to make sure you have the best possible itinerary that will give you the most fun. We have an extensive knowledge of the South Island routes, roads and tracks.

How does the insurance work?

The Insurance excess is $3000 and we need to hold this as a bond on a credit card during the term of the rental. We also can only offer insurance for over 25s, you must be 25 or older to rent one of our vehicles. The vehicle is fully insured on road and on the available remote routes.

What tyres do the trucks have?

Out trucks have mud tyres including the spare tyre and will be in good condition.

Are there tools in the vehicle?

The truck will come with a full toolkit for making basic repairs and changing tyres etc and a petrol container for emergency fuel.

How do I make a reservation?

You can book online using this website or you can email us. We need a $500 NZD non-refundable deposit paid via credit card to confirm your reservation. The remainder needs to be paid the week before the booking commences. We can offer a discount if you pay the full amount when booking.

Can I go off road?

NZ has a lot of amazing tracks and routes, but some are extremely dangerous and the weather changes a lot even in Summer. Some routes are too difficult or dangerous for one truck alone. To help make sure that you don’t get into difficulty our trucks are available to drive on approved routes where it is less likely to cause damage, harm or mechanical failure. To make it clear which routes are available and which are not, we have a map of approved routes which we will share with you. These routes are only a recommendation and all care and caution should be taken when travelling on them.

Our breakdown cover and insurance is only available when on mapped roads, which includes dirt roads, gravel roads and of course tarmac roads. You are restricted to river fords where the water level is not more than 30cm or about 1 foot. Tracks, rivers and road conditions change with the weather so always check and if in doubt turn back. You must not do anything that might cause damage to the vehicles. Our vehicles may not be taken into the sea, or onto the beach. All our vehicles have GPS tracking.

If you are not on a mapped road and there is a mechanical problem, you will be liable for the full cost of recovery which can be very expensive if it’s a remote location. If you damage, destroy or lose the truck and not on a mapped road you are liable entirely for the damage or loss. You are also liable for the cost of recovery of the damaged truck and any injury to you or another party. If in doubt ask us about your planed trips and routes - we are here to help.

Where can you camp and what's freedom camping?

The answer is simple - by law you can camp anywhere in a tent or in a vehicle on public land (private land needs permission) in New Zealand, assuming you carefully dispose of your waste and abide by the other laws - public nuisance etc. Public land includes national parks and the Department of Conservation (DOC) land, but there are some restrictions in culturally and environmentally sensitive areas. These are clearly marked and listed on the DOC site.

However, there are also local restrictions. In very popular areas local councils have bought in local by-laws to restrict this national law. So in some areas (like Queenstown) this does not apply and you can only camp in campsites with a tent and if you are self-contained (ie you have a certified vehicle - our trucks are not self-contained) in some other extra locations. So the simple rule has become complicated - now it depends on where you are. For most tourists with camper vans in the popular spots, they are very restricted. However on public land away from the tourist spots, main roads and council by-laws you can generally camp where you want in a sensible and responsible manner. But don't assume you can, make sure you check first or risk a fine.

That said, it's a sensitive subject in New Zealand so it's good to be discrete and to take care to always remove waste and rubbish and be considerate. Also, many of the DOC campsites are actually really good - many are free and not crowded, and once you are away from the main roads and tourists you may be the only ones there. So it's a good idea to plan to try and stay in the DOC campsites if possible. As for private land, don't camp here ever without permission - however you may meet friendly landowners who will let you camp on their farm or property - but this is not to be counted on.

Some useful links:

https://www.govt.nz/browse/recreation-and-the-environment/freedom-camping/

https://www.tripsavvy.com/new-zealand-freedom-camping-laws-1605970

http://www.doc.govt.nz/

Driving in New Zealand

Driving in New Zealand is different to other countries. We strongly recommend you complete this simple online course before picking up your rental car:

https://www.aa.co.nz/travel/rental-vehicles-and-transport/visitors-to-new-zealand/visiting-driver-training-programme/

You can learn more here:

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/driving-in-nz/

To rent a vehicle in New Zealand you must have your full driver’s licence that must be valid and current in the country it was issued. Your driver’s licence must also be written in English. If it is not written in English then you must provide an international driving permit or an official translation to accompany the licence. All drivers must present a full valid driver’s license in English at the time of pick up. A translation of your Drivers Licence can be obtained in three easy steps via the following link. https://driverlicencetranslation.co.nz/