Jordyn & Ben return to the wild with a new explorer in tow

A decade ago, Jordyn and Ben Giesbrecht explored New Zealand in a Wilderness motorhome as a young couple with no fixed schedule and endless time. They slept in, planned their activities the day of, and drove according to the weather.

This year, they returned to the same winding roads – but this time, they brought four-year-old River along for the ride.

For Jordyn and Ben, seeing the beauty of Aotearoa through River’s eyes was the best kind of gift. They got to watch their “wild” son running freely on the beach, staring in awe at passing landscapes, and making friends with farm animals. They told us all about their Wilderness adventure and how they found life on the road as a family.

A different kind of rhythm

The transition from "couple travel" to "family travel" meant shifting the tempo of Jordyn and Ben’s days. While their first trip was full of spontaneous hiking adventures and late-night stargazing, this journey meant slower mornings and more planning.

“There were also more freedom spots where you could simply pull up and explore,” the couple recalled. “Now there’s a bit more logistical planning involved to find places that match exactly what you’re looking for.”

Still, revisiting the iconic landscapes that had captured their imagination in their youth was something special for the couple. New Zealand had stolen their hearts for its natural beauty and ability to explore off the beaten path, and travelling by motorhome was a natural way to share the experience with their young son.

“We could show him those spontaneous roadside stops and hidden places, while still having the comforts of home and plenty of opportunities to burn off his energy doing the things he loves,” Jordyn and Ben said.

“It was incredibly special to watch River experience a place that means so much to us. Travelling with Wilderness a decade ago was one of our first international trips as a couple, so returning to share so many of the places we loved with him felt like a real gift.”

On the road as a family

The logistics of family travel mean plenty of new questions each morning – do we have enough snacks? Is our next destination a child-friendly place to camp? Will we arrive early enough to have dinner and still explore the outdoors before bedtime?

Their destinations also had to earn their place on the itinerary.

“Choosing places that were beautiful and enjoyable to spend time in became more important than simply finding somewhere to park for the night,” Jordyn and Ben said.

“We also spent more time inside the RV, so having the space and comforts of a larger motorhome made a big difference. It was easy to cook meals he would eat, read books together, or let him watch a bit of TV after a long day exploring. It slowed us down, but in a really positive way that allowed for more meaningful time together.”

The motorhome became their comfortable sanctuary – and for River, it was perfectly designed for adventure on the move. He loved having the big table in front of him while travelling, keeping puzzles and colouring books going through longer days on the road, while little snack cubbies at his height meant he could help himself whenever he liked.

But the world outside was what really captured his attention. Imagine a four-year-old seeing geothermal steam and towering mountains for the first time – it’s as endearing as you’d expect.

"With the large windows and clear view out the front, he felt like he was right in the middle of the landscape, spotting sheep, cows, and waterfalls wherever we went,” Jordyn and Ben said.

“Watching New Zealand unfold before him as we travelled along country roads, with his little face pressed to the window in awe, reminded us so much of how we felt the first time we explored the country together.”

Want to hear more from travelling families? Check out our blog on Floor & Arjan’s two-month-long family road trip.

Getting a good night’s sleep

For travelling parents, getting a young child to sleep somewhere new is often the biggest unknown. However, Jordyn and Ben said that one of their biggest surprises was how well River slept.

With blackout blinds on every window and a door separating the sleeping area from the living space, the couple was able to put him down comfortably and enjoy a quiet evening to themselves.

“It made bedtimes and mornings so much easier, and we didn’t need to bring any of the usual gadgets we rely on when travelling, like stick-on blackout blinds,” they said.

Once the sun rose, mornings at camp turned out to be some of the family’s favourite moments. They intentionally looked for the camps with the most beautiful and serene surroundings, from DOC sites to holiday parks. Waking up in a remarkable place made the small fees more than worthwhile.

From there, a typical morning would be spent making coffee and heading out to a nearby trail or beach for a stroll.

“This rhythm allowed us to slow down and spend time surrounded by nature,” Jordyn and Ben said.

“Having breakfast together or stopping for a pie along the way made mornings feel easy and relaxed compared to travelling between hotels.”

For more tips on getting a great night’s sleep on the road, check out our blog.

The detours that made the trip

The family saw plenty of amazing sights, but no stop captured their spirits quite like Maitai Bay. Tucked away in Northland, the water was so clear it almost felt Mediterranean – a long way from what most people picture when they think of a New Zealand road trip.

They set up at the DOC campground right on the bay, shaded by trees, and simply stayed a while. River took his boogie board to the gentle waves, and as the light softened toward evening, the family made their way up the hill overlooking the bay to watch the sunset.

"For River, who isn't a huge hiker yet, it was the perfect little adventure, and we were so glad we made the detour to visit,” Jordyn and Ben said.

That willingness to detour – to pull over, linger, and see what was around the next bend – defined the whole trip. The Wilderness motorhome made spontaneity easy: a scenic viewpoint, a pie stop, a chance to let River stretch his legs.

"Knowing we always had our little home waiting for us, a place to shower, change, and reset before the next adventure, took a lot of pressure off the day,” they recalled.

“If we were at a restaurant or café, we could easily prepare a snack for River from the foods he loved back in the motorhome while we enjoyed our meal.”

For more ideas on what to explore, check out our ultimate New Zealand road trip itinerary.

A filmmaker’s perspective

A cinematographer by trade, Ben is no stranger to travelling with a camera. But this trip asked something different of him. Rather than chasing the most striking locations or the most "photo-ready" shot, he found himself getting down to River's eye level – following his son's gaze rather than his own instincts.

"He noticed beauty in places Jordyn and I might have overlooked and found joy in small moments we might otherwise have rushed past,” Ben said.

“The experience became more about slowing down and capturing those quiet, in-between moments of a family trip together.”

Would they do it again?

At home, life moves quickly – work, daycare, activities, the relentless forward motion of everyday routine. What the road gave Jordyn, Ben, and River was something harder to come by: uninterrupted time together.

Music on the stereo, audiobooks playing through long stretches of highway, meals cooked and shared in their own space.

"More than anything, it gave us an incredible amount of togetherness,” the couple said. “This trip gave us the chance to slow down and simply enjoy being a family while experiencing such an incredible landscape together."

For families weighing up whether a motorhome trip is right for them, Jordyn and Ben have no reservations. The driving was easier than expected, even in one of the larger vehicles, and New Zealand's diversity means the trip can be shaped around whatever a family needs it to be.

"We would do it again in a heartbeat, and it's a trip we truly believe families can enjoy with children of almost any age."

Ready to start planning your own trip? Have a look at our packing checklist to make sure you don’t leave any essentials behind!