Bertie

Location: Bertie lives in Christchurch approx. 5km – or a 10 minute drive – from Christchurch Airport and approx. 10km – or a 20 minute drive – from the city centre. Bertie also can be brought to Ashburton for pick-up/drop-off (for a small charge).

In The Cab: 3 seats in cab up front (with 3-point seat belts); reversing camera and USB port.

Kitchen Area: The interior height is 1.85m so most people can stand up comfortably. Bertie has a fully equipped kitchen complete with three-burner hob, oven and grill as well as a 130L fridge with a freezer compartment. Cutlery and crockery for four, glasses and mugs for two; knives, wide range of utensils, 3 pots and 3 fry pans, mixing bowls, colander, kettle; array of spices; coffee, tea, hot chocolate, sugar, oil, salt and pepper. Bertie also comes with placemats, coasters, food storage containers and eco-friendly food wrap.

Living/Sleeping Area: The comfy bench seating with table converts to a full queen size bed (150cm x 200cm). There isn't a separate bed for a child but because there are 3 belted seats up front and the van has self-containment for 3 people, many are happy to share the queensize bed with their little one. Note: we list bedding and towels as Extras at the booking stage in case guests prefer to bring their own. There are curtains (as well as tinted windows) for privacy. Storage areas can be found overhead, next to the bed, and under the bench seats and Bertie also comes with books and games to keep you entertained whatever the weather!

Water Facilities: Like all Quirky Campers in NZ, Bertie is certified self-contained. Bertie has a 60 litre fresh water tank (monitored) and 62 litre grey water tank. She has an electric pump tap and large deep sink in the kitchen area.

Electrical/Lighting and Audio Equipment: Bertie has three solar panels (390W) on her roof which feed the leisure battery inside to power the lights, large fridge, roof vent fan, water pump and USB sockets so you can be entirely self-sufficient. Bertie also has a 500W Inverter allowing you to charge laptops and other small household items. Or, if you want to pitch up on a campsite, she has an electric hook-up so you can use the multiple 230v sockets. Bertie has a Bluetooth stereo (in the cab) so you can play your own tunes… useful in places where there is no radio reception!

Type of Heating: Bertie is fully insulated (with wool) and has a diesel heater

Outside: Bertie has a 3.2m x 2m awning; outside chairs and table (available as an optional extra).

Conversion Story: We had planned to do our OE (overseas experience) in Europe having taken a gap year from university – but Covid put a stop to that! Having saved hard and still with a burning desire to travel we decided to make another dream a reality and build our own campervan. Bertie was a labour of love and also a bit of a family affair with contributions to the functionality and wall features… like the mosaiced kitchen splashback and beach mural in the cab. We’ve travelled the length and breadth of NZ in Bertie and had an amazing time. But now it’s time to get back to the books and share her with you. We hope you enjoy a trip in Bertie as much as we do. Caleb & Lanelle