Hi Clare,
An old link to other links about
accommodation in Auckland .
Many campsites in NZ are said to be pretty decent, so that's encouraging. Take a look at
Top 10 Holiday Parks ,
Wellington Campsites and Parks and
NZ Camping Guide .
For prices of campervan hire, if you look at the
NZ Website List you'll find links to van hire companies. Lil Amy had something helpful to say about campervans (CVs) v hiring a car and staying in cabins etc. on
here .
You can drive on your UK licence for the first 12 months after you arrive in NZ, then you need to apply for a NZ licence.
I'm sure some of the others will be on to add a lot more useful stuff as they've done this sort of thing themselves.