New Zealand Adventuring
Introducing the Behemoth
We drove this behemoth through New Zealand for two weeks.
It’s a much larger vehicle than we had planned for. Here are some of its vital statistics:
- It has a 6-speed manual transmission.
- It is 7.2 meters long.
- It sleeps four on king-size beds.
- It has a shower, toilet, microwave oven, gas range, and refrigerator.
- The steering wheel is on the opposite side we're accustomed to.
- We have to drive on the left side of the road.
When I made my first right turn, all the wine glasses fell off the rack — that's how smooth the ride is.
I'll be honest here. Driving this beast along New Zealand’s narrow roads was not a lot of fun. There were times when it barely fit into both lanes of the road — and by barely, I mean just inches of clearance on each side. And the non-fun is only enhanced with everything being backwards from what I'm used to.
I eventually got used to driving it, but even after two weeks on the road, taking it into a city was still a white-knuckle adventure.
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Header Image: The Behemoth in a New Zealand grocery store lot. All images from the author's collection.