1. Take it easy
Maui campervans are warm and comfortable, well designed, and offer all the all the comforts of home with the bonus of ever-changing views. Unpack once, kick back, and slip into cruise mode, because there’s nothing like relaxation to encourage holiday fun.
2. Get back to nature
There’s a good reason those romantic poets of old wrote about weeping willows, fields of flowers, and rivers wending gently through the valley. Picture you and your beau in such scenes – natural, beautiful, and ideally lit by the golden glow of sunrise or sunset – and tell us that doesn’t inspire certain desires.
3. Eat alfresco
Forget the silly wicker basket, the thermos flask and the checked blanket. A campervan picnic is much easier than that. Step 1: park somewhere picturesque. Step 2: put the kettle on. Step 3: raid the fridge. Step 4: step outside. And the romantic picnic ideas don’t end there – how about a siesta in the sunshine?
4. Propose a toast
Raise a glass to your lover with Marlborough bubbles or Martinborough pinot noir, selected from a cellar door. While you’re on the wine trail, enjoy a tasting or two and indulge in a winery lunch. Fancy camping amongst the vines? Check out Maui's Winery Havens.
5. Follow the art trail
Surprise your partner with a special gift or stock up on souvenirs along New Zealand’s art trails, or in village boutiques and galleries. Pounamu pendants, Maori carvings, merino wool clothing and beautiful ceramics are just a few of the creations for which New Zealand has become famous.
6. Find a festival
Shuck an oyster or jazz up an evening – just two romantic ideas springing up from New Zealand’s packed annual events calendar. To see what’s on where you’re going, check regional tourism websites or EventFinder.
7. Make the blood run hot
A therapeutic soak is sure to get things cooking. Fortunately, there are plenty of hot pools in New Zealand, ranging from the sandy, spade-dug holes of the Coromandel’s Hot Water Beach, to Taupo’s tranquil Wairakei Terraces spa complex. Many holiday parks also keep the heat on with spa pools and saunas.
8. Book a table for two
You’ll discover plenty of great dining on your Maui campervan trip, whether you’re looking for simple fare in a contemporary café or country pub, or a slap-up dinner dished up by a celebrated chef. The savings you make by self-catering in your campervan kitchen should free up some funds for a romantic dinner or two.
9. Go starry-eyed
After sundown, stay outside, rug up and snuggle up, and gaze at the heavens. Matariki and the Southern Cross are just two signature constellations amidst New Zealand’s exceptionally clear night skies. Where permitted, light a campfire or gather driftwood for a bonfire down at the beach. That’s sure to put a glow in the cheeks.
10. Sing in the rain
Keep your fingers crossed for one rainy night, so you can savour the mesmerising pitter-patter on the roof while you lie snuggled up inside. (And be thankful for your onboard bathroom, so you don’t have to make a midnight dash through the drops!)