The Final Stretch

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Waking Up in the Campervan One Last Time

We woke up to our final morning in the campervan, taking it slow with a cup of coffee and some last-minute packing. It felt a bit surreal—this little van had been our home for over two weeks, and now we were getting ready to say goodbye to it.

After making sure everything was organized, we hit the road, making our way toward Christchurch.

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Stops Along the Way – Frisbee, Sheep & Oamaru

We made a few spontaneous stops, stretching out our last few hours on the South Island:

• A rest stop for one final game of frisbee.
• A quick roadside stop to take pictures of sheep. We got so close to petting them, but they walked away at the last second—so close yet so far!

Then, we made an unplanned stop in Oamaru, a historical town with buildings dating back to the early 1800s. The old stone architecture gave it a charming, time-frozen feel, and it was well worth the detour.

There were rumors of penguins in the area, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any since they weren’t on shore at the time. However, we did see a massive sea lion sleeping on a rock—so close that I probably could have reached out and touched it (but obviously, I didn’t).

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Navigating a Highway Fire Detour

The journey took an unexpected turn when we ran into a burning semi-truck that had completely shut down the highway. Firefighters told us we’d have to turn back and find a different route.

With no GPS directions, we had to wing it on the backroads of New Zealand. Hilariously, we ended up leading a convoy of other travelers, including locals! It was quite the moment—foreigners guiding Kiwis through their own country.

After a bit of navigating (and some good luck), we made it back to the highway and continued toward Christchurch.

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The Final Drive & Saying Goodbye to the Van

We drove the last stretch to Christchurch, stopping about 10 minutes before the JUCY rental drop-off to do a final clean-out of the campervan—taking out the garbage, gathering our bags, and making sure everything was ready to hand in.

Dropping off the Jucy Avocado was pretty easy, but we had a small miscommunication with the staff about the airport shuttle. One lady told us she’d let us know when it arrived, but she never did. When we asked another staff member, she said, “Oh, you just have to find it and get on.”

It was a bit frustrating, especially since another traveler had been waiting even longer than us, but luckily, the shuttle arrived five minutes later, and we hopped on.

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Checking In to Our Final Stay – Northwood Motor Lodge

Once at the Christchurch Airport, we originally thought we could catch a free shuttle to our hotel, but it turned out the shuttle only ran from the hotel to the airport—not the other way around. So, we grabbed a taxi and headed to our final stop: Northwood Motor Lodge.

This beautiful hotel/motel had been recently purchased by a man named Peter, whom had just purchased the place back in 2019! He was incredibly kind, offering us a free liter of milk, showing us around, and even offering to drive us to the airport himself in the morning.

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A Cozy Final Night

After two and a half weeks of non-stop adventure, we huddled in the hotel room, enjoying a quiet, relaxing night:

• Ordered delivery (for the first time in ages!)
• Watched some TV & TikToks
• Got to bed early to wake up at 3:00 a.m. for our early flight

This was it—the final night in our camper of an unforgettable journey. Tomorrow we’ll finish up the last night in a hotel and then fly home. Stay tuned for the final post!

As always, you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. Embrace the adventure, cherish the memories, and I’ll catch you tomorrow for the final post in this journey!

#NewZealandAdventure #LordOfTheRings #DreamTrip #Travel #40thBirthday #MiddleEarth #BucketList #AdventureAwaits

-Rob ❤️