Van Life as a Canadian in New Zealand: Here’s What I Wish I Knew Beforehand

May 22, 2026

White van parked on a gravel area with a river and snow-capped mountains in the background under a blue sky with clouds.

Photo by Olivia Wiens

Last year, I packed my life into an 80-litre backpack and traded my comfortable house in Canada for a 1993 Toyota Hiace in New Zealand. Plastered with stickers on the hatch and rust marks along the windows, making unsettling noises when I woke it up in the morning or attempted fourth gear uphill, this van became my home for three months. It carried my partner and me from the bottom of the South Island to the top of the North Island, kept us cozy in the chilly evenings and dry in the relentless r...

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Olivia Wiens

Olivia Wiens is a freelance journalist with a passion for the environment and the beings who inhabit it. She aims to authentically experience nature as it’s been given to us, advocating for leave no trace movements and inclusivity in the outdoor community. She has written for publications like Canadian Geographic and SheDoesTheCity, and is actively growing her portfolio as a recent Toronto Metropolitan University grad. Currently living in the East Kootenays, Olivia is an avid peace-seeker, hiker, camper and paddleboarder.