September 8th
2010
Category:
Product news

August Hippie Road-Trip Giveaway Winners

It’s that time again – we have some new winners of our Road-trip giveaway and we’d like to share them with you!

Matthew Hickman scored himself a Canon Compact Camera with this great shot:

So who won the coveted iPad? It was the lucky Bryan Pacher with this great blog (P.S. it’s in French):  Born to be wild

We also gave a FREE transferable campervan trip to Ben Wise (congrats Ben).

All you need to do for a chance to win these GREAT prizes is rent with us and get those photos, vids, and stories in!

Tags:
September 8th
2010
Category:
Travel tips

Bec Woods on travelling Australia’s East Coast

Today we’re delighted to share a story from Bec Woods, a Pro Surfer who is sponsored by our parent company Apollo. First of all, here’s a quick intro video about Bec:

The last few months have been quite eventful as a Pro Surfer. This was supposed to be my downtime between World Tour events and for majority of it I was on the Gold Coast for training and enjoying the warm winter of Queensland.

However as a surfer you tend to move around a lot searching for the perfect wave. For people traveling on the east coast of Australia I recommend heading to Lennox Head and Byron Bay in the cooler months of winter. These small coastal surfing towns have such epic vibes, great coffee and many waves to choose from. Cruising from one to the next is a great way to spend a weekend and how I generally spend mine whilst around the Gold Coast.

Between training I spent a bit of time shooting for a TV segment and working on a proposed surfing event I am planning to have in my home town of Copacabana (NSW, Central Coast).

Which brings me to my next point. Driving from the Gold Coast to Copacabana is 9 hours if you do it straight. However if you have time and are driving your accommodation (a camper) please, please stop in at:

1. Angourie- It is a beautiful place with much national park and a hidden gem of the east coast. It is about 1 and a half hours south of Lennox Head.

2. Point Plomer/ Crescent Head- Point Plomer is where I learnt to surf. You take a right before hitting Crescent main town. There are 4 beaches to choose from all protected from different winds, the fishing, surfing, trails and wildlife are amazing. It is off the coast of Kempsey which is about 4 hrs south from Lennox head or 5 hours north from Sydney.

3. Boomerang Beach/Pacific Palms- Another of the hidden Gems of east coast Aus. So many white sand beaches, hidden cafe’s and lush national Parks to explore as well as cute cafe’s scattered around, it is worth exploring 3.5 hrs north of Sydney, 6.5 hrs south of Lennox Head.

I am now at Copacabana which is one and a half hours north of Sydney and getting ready for my next stint of events overseas starting with the Rip Curl Pro Search event in Peniche, Portugal early October. I need a solid end to my year currently sitting in 9th on the World Rankings and hoping to finish strongly.

Tags:
September 7th
2010
Category:
Product news

Business as usual for Hippie Christchurch

Hippie Camper is pleased to advise that after the recent earthquake in Christchurch, our rental branch remains fully operational. Customers are still able to pick up and drop off campervans as usual. The team’s thoughts are with all those affected.

Hippie has a variety of motorhomes and campervans on site in Christchurch which would be suitable temporary accommodation for locals whose houses have been damaged. Please contact media@hippiecamper.com for a special rate.

Tags:
September 2nd
2010
Category:
Travel tips
1 Comment »

6 luggage ESSENTIALS for your backpacker campervan trip

Packing is boring, we know – but it’s important. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of six essentials you should bring with you on any campervan road trip in Australia or New Zealand.

“Why six?” we hear you ask.  Well, we think it’s a pretty great number – particularly in New Zealand. Just ask any local! Anyway, here’s the list. We hope you find it useful:

  1. Soft bags for your stuff - they will fit more easily in your campervan storage compartments.
  2. Thongs/Flip Flops/Jandles – Whatever you call them, you need them if you’re showering in public bathrooms.
  3. Camera – Don’t miss the action, or the opportunity to win another camera from us if you take an amazing shot of your Hippie!
  4. Sunscreen – Whether you’re trekking Aus or traversing New Zealand, sun protection is important. Even in winter you need to slip slop slap to avoid harmful UV rays.
  5. Your favourite tunes – Self explanatory. Hippie Campers aren’t equipped with iPod docks (one day?) but they do play MP3 cds.
  6. Map (or rent a GPS from us) – Getting lost is half the fun, but you want to be able to find your way back eventually…
Tags:
August 26th
2010
Category:
Product news
2 Comments »

Low Season Hippie Rates – Unbeatable and Awesome

If you’re thinking of doing the campervan thing around Australia, right now is the perfect time. Most Aussie camper rental companies (including Hippie) set their prices based on supply and demand, so the quieter it is, the cheaper the rate.

Hippie Campers enjoying some sweet tunes

Up in Queensland the winter hardly counts (at the Hippie head office in Brisbane, we wear jumpers at the very most) – but for some reason, people are scared off by the prospect of a little bit of chill.

This is great news, because it means our prices are SPECTACTULAR right now, particularly from Cairns. We’d love you to rent our ultra-cheap new campervans over low season, and here are a few great reasons why:

  1. There are not so many crowds around – which means a more relaxed holiday for you
  2. It’s so cheap ($37 per day anyone)!
  3. If you mention the blog, we’ll give you FREE table and chair hire for your whole trip!

Free table and chair rental with your campervan hire

It doesn’t get much better than that, so give us a call or check out the obligation-free booking engine on our website for a quote.

August 17th
2010
Category:
Product news

Our First Hippie Road Trip Giveaway WINNERS!

As you know, Hippie is currently running a fantastic competition giving away iPads, cameras and videos. We know it’s a bit late  – but we’d like to showcase the winners of our first giveaway.

First, this AWESOME photo from Cathrine Borsand scored her a Canon Compact Camera:

Hippie Camper July Photo Winner

In the wordsmith stakes,  Carolyn and Ben Opps took out the Apple iPad with this great blog post:  The Mystery Machine vs. Oz

Meanwhile, we gave Steven Sander a Sony Handycam for his creative  (and topical) videography efforts. Check it out! Hippie Master Chef
Remember – if you’re renting a Hippie YOU could be the next lucky winner… so get those photos, vids, and stories in!

Tags:
July 19th
2010
Category:
Product news
2 Comments »

Behind the scenes: Hippie Camper photo shoot

Recently, the Hippie marketing team was asked to organise a photo shoot starring two of our sweet Hippie Deluxe campervans. We enlisted the help of some real life backpackers as models, and took the vans to some of our favourite Brisbane spots for a fun afternoon shoot.

T & J Harradine Productions did a top job showcasing our rental campervans. The weather was perfect and Emer (from Ireland), Amy (from England) and Mark (from good old Australia) were all fantastic models. They really made the Hippies look awesome (not that they didn’t already…)

We look forward to sharing more of the amazing photos on our website over the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here are a couple of samples (from behind the scenes and the finished product):

Hippie Campers Amy and Emer

Hippie Campers Amy and Emer

Setting up for another great shot

Setting up for another great shot

Our models enjoying some hard earned snacks!

Hippie Campers Mark & Emer

July 8th
2010
Category:
Product news

Have a drink with Hippie

If you’re heading out to some of the backpacker pubs and clubs in Australia and New Zealand over the next few months, look out for our Hippie Camper coasters. They feature some great Dad jokes, as well as a 5% discount off your next Hippie rental! We’d love to know what you think…

Our Aussie Coaster:

Our Kiwi Coaster:

July 6th
2010
Category:
Uncategorized

Are you in Brisbane next Tuesday?

Hi everyone,

Hippie Camper is looking for some real life backpackers in Brisbane to star in a photo shoot for Hippie Camper on Tuesday the 13th of July. We’re looking for guys and girls. If you’re interested, please email media@hippiecamper.com with a photo of yourself.

It should be a fun day, and no previous modelling experience is required, just confidence and a big smile! We will of course compensate you for your time.

June 29th
2010
Category:
Travel tips

5 MORE tips for travelling in the Hippie Deluxe

As promised, today we are continuing our feature on travelling in the ever popular Hippie Deluxe.

You can read our first 5 tips here.

Now, on to our campervan rental insider tips:

Avoid manual meltdown. The good news is, Hippie Deluxe campervans are compact and easy to drive for most. However, if you’re not used to driving with manual transmission you may want to practice by borrowing a mate’s car before you pick up the vehicle.

You may be driving on a different side of the road or in different road conditions than usual, so the more practice the better. Safety first! Check out Brock’s video below – he loved his Hippie trip, but found the manual transmission a little daunting!

Brock\’s thoughts on driving a manual campervan

Remember to recharge. Australia and New Zealand have extensive networks of Campgrounds and Caravan Parks with amenities and facilities to make your stay comfortable and safe. While you have to pay to stay at caravan parks, Hippie customers are entitled to discounts at many. Also, you will have the opportunity to recharge your batteries when you stay at a powered site. Remember, free camping is not permitted everywhere.

Be weatherproof. Whether you’re travelling in Australia (beautiful one day, torrential rain the next) or New Zealand (four seasons in one day), it pays to weatherproof your road trip by making a few simple provisions. We recommend you bring: gumboots (wellingtons), a rain poncho (much easier to transport than umbrellas), entertainment such as books and games, some great music, and some long lasting snacks.

Hydrate. Australia and New Zealand are both relatively safe countries, but both are subject to extreme weather conditions. Always take plenty of water wherever you go, whether you are hiking or even just walking. If you go on a bush walk, also remember to let someone know where you are going.

Use your discounts. If you’re travelling along the East Coast of Australia, The Hippie Camper team will give you a touring map featuring many great discount offerings for your trip. You may have even already planned to visit some of the attractions listed, so why not save your cash and use them? You can see some of the discount offers here.

Hippie Touring Map

Thanks for reading our Hippie Camper Deluxe travel tips! See you next time…

« Older Entries