No fixed abode

August 16, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

My friend is a cop. He recently told me they put the acronym ‘NFA’ (short for No Fixed Abode) next to the names of people who don’t have a home. That’s me, Amy NFA. Nice to meet you.

The irony of feeling adrift and ungrounded, precisely at the moment we returned from our wandering journey around New Zealand, is not lost on me. When Chris and I lived in our minimum viable campervan and moved around every other day, it felt so natural and homey. I felt so settled.

Flying back into London, the city I called home for 12 years, I feel my mindset has changed. Here’s what I’ve noticed. Read More

The best places to campervan around New Zealand – our top 6

July 11, 2016.Reading time 10 minutes.

We’re back in the UK again *ugly cry*. The Vanmaison sold via an auction house in Christchurch and the New Zealand #vanlife dream is over. For now.

I’ve been trying to dull the pain by writing and re-living our favourite experiences in our gorgeous van. I’ve made you – and future me – a list of our top 6 locations and a map (see below) of the highlights. Because we’re totally doing this again one day. Because oh yes New Zealand, we’ll be back.
Read More

Plugging-in the Vanmaison

June 12, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

How do we get power? We plug-in to powered campsites. That’s all. It was the simplest option for us, but not necessarily the cheapest option to install. Read More

Hubert and the incredible life-changing cucumber salad

May 16, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hubert (pronounced U-Bear) is holding his breakfast dishes and standing next to his Ural 2WD sidecar motorcycle.

He has ridden a sidecar around the world – Arctic Circle, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, India (the list goes on) – for twelve years.

Ever since February 16 2005 when he motored away from New York City at precisely 6:04 am. Read More

Our temporary campervan bed design for a Toyota Hiace – so you can make it, or make it better

May 6, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

We designed a removable, plywood sleeping platform with storage underneath for our Toyota Hiace van. It’s comfy, it’s warm and we’re delighted that all the pieces actually fit. So I’d like share our downloadable, open source designs with you, just in case you want to do it too. Or in case you want to make it better.

Sketching and prototyping your own campervan conversion

April 28, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

I have some news. The minimum viable van is no longer viable.

Interneting around New Zealand

March 27, 2016.Reading time 9 minutes.

It’s like I was swimming in wondrous place full of endless fresh water that I guzzled liberally and wasted lovingly. When suddenly, I found myself parched in a dusty, dry desert with a single glass of water. Except water is the internet, and the desert is being a digital nomad.

Minimum Viable Vanmaison

February 29, 2016.Reading time 8 minutes.

We’ve been living in a Minimum Viable Van (MVV).

We sold all our stuff, left London and moved to New Zealand for an adventure. We bought a Toyota Hiace van to convert into a campervan, while working remotely in our digital jobs for 6 months. (The rest of that story is over here if you’re curious).

But back to the MVV.

Buying a campervan in New Zealand in under 3 hours (kinda)

February 3, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

Hoorah, we have a Vanmaison in our possession! To keep this post brief and helpful to anyone who might be thinking about doing the same, I’m just going to jot down the main how-to-buy-a-campervan-in-NZ facts. It’s not a kerfuffle at all. Promise.

Finding the Vanmaison

January 30, 2016.Reading time 8 minutes.

I am going to convince you, a would-be New Zealand nomad, to avoid purchasing a large, ex-rental motorhome or an older already fitted-out campervan. You will eventually decide to buy your own Toyota Hiace van and kit it out yourself. I’m going to go full van on you in this post. You have been warned.