A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 103 miles from Orange to Palm Desert, California.
travel
Freeways, highways, and other roads as we move the coach from one site to another. Plus cat pics.
Travel from Orange to Palm Desert, California
We drove our coach 103 miles, about two hours of driving, from Orange to Palm Desert, California.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:
Leaving our site; it was a bit tight, so we backed out, which meant we were facing the wrong way:

Toading facing the wrong way; I walked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear before we headed out:

CA-57:

Entering CA-55 North:

CA-91:

“100 Years of Freedom”:

Interesting hills:

Overpasses:

Exit to Indio:

Snowcapped mountains:

Uphill:

Rest area:

Wind turbines:

Exit to Washington Street:

Hills:

Arriving at TTPS:


We were assigned a site that didn’t have 50 amp power, despite the gate agent assuring us that it did:

Then we got a new site assignment, and moved to a site that actually has usable power:

Actually getting into our site was a bit of a challenge, as it always is at TTPS (due to all the palm trees and other obstacles), but we managed it without too much difficulty.
Video: Northridge to Orange, California motorhome travel timelapse
A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 59 miles from Northridge to Orange, California.
Travel from Northridge to Orange, California
We drove our coach just 59 miles, about an hour of driving, from Northridge to Orange, California. Picking our coach up from storage.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

An interactive map, with the drive from the airport parking included:
Leaving Walnut RV Park, where we stored our coach during our NZ trip:

Entering I-5 South:

LA traffic:

A pickup carrying half a car:

Sunset:

Katella Ave exit:

Arriving at Orangeland RV Park after sunset; later than we usually like to arrive, but we’ve been here several times before:


NZ: flights from Christchurch to Auckland then LAX
All good things must end, and so it was with our New Zealand trip.
Checking in to Air New Zealand in Christchurch:

Our plane from Christchurch to Auckland:


In Auckland International Airport, love NZ with Buzzy Bees:

Last meat pie, caramel slice, and L&P soda:

Our international flight:

Menu:

Seat selfie:

The flight was delayed over an hour:

Dinner:

Breakfast:

Arriving over Los Angeles:

LA freeway:

Looking back at our plane:

Welcome to the United States:

Welcome to Los Angeles:

Shuttle back to the parking garage:

Our truck was still there!

We then drove to pick up our coach from storage, which will be in tomorrow’s post. But this concludes the posts about our New Zealand trip. It was great to visit my family, see old and new places, eat favorite foods, and try van life.
As discussed in the 2026 travel plans post, this year will be a bit different than previous ones, including another big trip, this time through Canada to Alaska (twice!). Stay tuned for our continuing adventures!
NZ: returning van; Christchurch exploring
We traveled from our last campsite to return the rental van, then got dropped off at a hotel in downtown Christchurch, and did some touring around the central city.
Here’s an interactive map of our route, with the stops marked:
A pile of things to donate to Red Cross:

A pile of our luggage:

McRent Christchurch:

Other campers:

Our van:

No problems dropping off the van (unlike a German family that returned their camper at the same time as us, that had thousands of dollars of damage!). McRent arranged an Uber to our downtown hotel for the night, Distinction:

Hotel room:


We went to the Tramway Cafe for lunch:

We did a city tour tram ride:

Tram route:

A must-do in Christchurch — punting on the Avon:











A brief walk through part of Christchurch Botanic Gardens:



Then more walking around looking at Christchurch buildings:


And back on the tram:




Coffee and a slice:



Christ Church Cathedral reconstruction; it was significantly damaged in several earthquakes:


More buildings and art:





A very nice city.
NZ video: Hokitika to Christchurch campervan travel timelapse
A timelapse of driving our rental campervan from Hokitika to Christchurch in New Zealand.
NZ: Hokitika to Christchurch
We traveled from Hokitika to Christchurch; our last full day with the van.
Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:
The town of Kumara; amusing as that is also the Maori name of a sweet potato:

One lane bridge:

Taipo River:

Taramakau River:

Otira Stagecoach Hotel, with Gollum on the roof:

Another one lane bridge:

Roadworks light with a countdown; nice:

16% downgrade:

Interesting avalanche guard:

“Thank you for not feeding me”:

Otira Viaduct Lookout:

Alpine Parrot Cafe for a coffee and slice:


Kea:

Kea info:




Arthur’s Pass National Park Visitor Centre:


Arthur’s Pass:


My beard having “main character energy” as the kids say:


Dusty:


Interesting rocks:















Springfield doughnut:


Perhaps the tastiest pie I had in NZ:

Christchurch Fanfare Sculpture:

Arriving at Top 10 Spencer Beach:


Our site:

Pre-loved items bin; a good idea, since a lot of people end their trip in Christchurch (as we did); we had too much stuff to fit in that bin, so we took it to Red Cross before dropping off our van:

Shower:

We went out to a laundromat to do a last load of laundry:


And got takeaways from Kaikanui Fish & Chip and Chinese Restaurant next door:

Which we took back to our site (not the best, but the last):


This was our last night in the van.
NZ video: Franz Josef to Hokitika campervan travel timelapse
A timelapse of driving our rental campervan from Franz Josef to Hokitika in New Zealand.
NZ: Franz Josef to Hokitika
We traveled from Franz Josef to Hokitika.
Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some of the stops marked:
We started the day with a helicopter flight, as shown in the previous post. After that, we went next door to the Full of Beans Cafe for a second breakfast; this sign shows a sampling of Kiwi expressions:


Amazingly, they had a potato top meat pie, so I had to have that (potato top pies seem to be becoming hard to find, unfortunately):

Whataroa River:

A long one lane bridge with passing lanes:

Another one lane bridge:

Weka:

We went to the West Coast Tree Top Walk, and had lunch at their cafe:


Yes, another pie; gotta get as many as possible as our trip comes to an end:

Then we did the tree top walk; here’s the map:

And stop info:






Unfortunately a school trip was on the walk at the same time; they were having fun making the cantilevered portion bounce:


Onward; some cows going through a tunnel under the road:



Arriving at Shining Star Beachfront Accommodation:


Our site:

Shower:

Dulcie’s Takeaways for dinner:


We took the takeaways to eat with a beachfront view; a classic Kiwi experience:

Shipwreck memorial:

Hokitika downtown:

Back at the campground, we walked along the path to the beach:



