Arriving with 10 suitcases 3 kids and 2 dogs

[Dawn]

We are badly needing help and advice here guys. When we arrive in the early hours of 17th July at Auckland we will have everything in tow including the dogs, well one dog and a bear. We are taking them down to a friend in Tuakau which I have been told is about an hours drive south of Auckland. I have yet to check out a proper route there, waiting for the maps we've bought to arrive!!
We've been trying to rent a big truck that we can get everything in, something like a Toyota Hi-lux or similar but can't seem to find a rental company that rent this sort of thing. Any ideas anyone? It'll just be whilst we get the dogs down there, then we can bring it back and swap it for something more normal.

We think we'll probs head out to BOP then so we're trying to find a holiday let for a week to relax and get over the flight etc before we cram ourselves into a campervan for 3 weeks. Again, is there anyone over there who can actually recommend a place to stay having seen it with their own eyes? I don't mean a specific property as such but a specific place.

Thanks for everyones help guys.

[Glenda]

Hi Dawn,

We used these people - Nationwide Rental Cars - late model rental cars in New Zealand and had a 12-seater Toyota Hiace. They are not based at the airport so they have to pick you up, but are a bit cheaper because of that.

Have also looked at National car rentals and under the heading of 'people movers' note that they have minibuses too, so there are some about.

Good luck with your enquiries.

[nick_and_jacky]

Hi Dawn

We like Mt Manganui in the BOP, there are quite q few apartment type complexes as you approach the mount. Sure you would find a decent off season rental there. Beach is nice and the walks up the mount are fantastic.

As for a rental company, have you tried pegasus? they were fairly useful for us and close to the airport. if you couldnt fit everything in a previa, then how about renting a trailer? You should be able to get hhold of one of those fairly cheap - plus you can then drop off the trailer and keep hold of your rental as you could go for something smaller.

Good luck anyway

cheers


Nick

[Taffy]

Hi Dawn,

Tuakau is pretty easy to find. Once you get out of the airport, just follow the signs for Hamilton, and get on State Highway 1 (SH1). Jump off the highway at Pukekohe, head right - i think you need to turn left and turn around - (there's BP & Caltex service stations there, along with McDonalds etc if you're peckish!) and follow the road in to Pukekohe. Tuakau is about 12kms south of there.

Oddly enough, if you continue on through Tuakau, and follow the twisty turny road for about an hour and a half, you drive right past our street!

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by Taffy

Oddly enough, if you continue on through Tuakau, and follow the twisty turny road for about an hour and a half, you drive right past our street!

That's it then!! Get them shovels out me ode mucker

Actually, hold on we can't do that coz we've got to take the truck back to Auckland and pick up the campervan the next day but then there's no stopping us!!

We've decided to head straight into the campervan rather then rent a let for a week first so is yours first stop then Taffers???

[ShellBda]

Hey Dawn,

Don't forget! Bermy Girl and I will be making our way down to Palmy North and I believe we have added Hamilton as one of our "rest stops". July 23!

[Welshgirl]

OMG - potentially that means Dawn, Bermy Girl and ShellBda may all be at our house at the same time

[ShellBda]

Does this warrant a new thread?

[johnty]

wow thats some big luggage dawn .
so your hounds are gonna be on the same flight ?
if so would you mind letting us know how this was arranged. was it golden arrow or pet air.
that would make Allys day if she could do that
we have not seen alot of rental properties that allow dogs but there are a few on trade me .

[Dawn]

Johnty, we're trying to get as much over with us as we can as we are only going on VV. Two pieces of luggage each so we'll be filling em up with everything but the kitchen sink.

We have used a company called Ladyhaye to sort the dogs. We found the flight we wanted then rang AirNZ to check whether they had room in their cargo hold on the same flight. They told us it had to be arranged through a carrier so we rang Ladyhaye who had already given us the most competitive quote. They rang the airline and provisionally booked the space then rang us back and we went through the deposit and arrival formalities, all they needed at that stage was an address where the dogs were going to be for the first 30 days in NZ. We had had our tickets on hold until everything was confirmed and when we went back to book them just 2 hours later the price had gone up ?75 each!!! Bugger!!

It's cost us ?5000 for the dogs but Hugo is a Newfoundland and Daisy an Old English Sheepdog so a bit bigger than your usual labrador. Even so, a bit steep isn't it? I asked if they were going to sit there with the dogs and stroke them all the way to NZ which was met with a '................er...........well we do do everything we can to make their journey as relaxed as possible but I'm afraid we can't do that.....' I said 'No? Well I'm disappointed about that but please do what you can.'
Ladyhaye have also given us a vets schedule and all that malarchy to keep us on track with all the tests that have to done and when. They've been really helpful.

Glenda, that was a big help. We've found a couple of others now as well. National will only rent from 3 days but we've found one that will rent us one for the day we need it. Thanks again!!!!