Hashtag Adventure Vanlife NZ

To some, #vanlife is just an escapist hashtag.

It was those amazing Instagram images of people living in a van, like a crazy tiny house on wheels that really kick-started the change. But it has grown into a far bigger movement worldwide. What originally was the domain of both modern-day hippies and at the other end of the scale, retirees, now has been embraced by all walks of life for all sorts of reasons.

To some it represents freedom, travel, adventure, and to some minimalism. To some it is cheaper than a holiday home and for other's it’s the basecamp of adventures. It’s become a movement, a way of life; whether it’s a 24/7 life commitment, the holidays or just a weekend. It can be in a converted bus, RV, motorhome or a van. It’s not what you park it is where you park it.

At its most basic, van life is just that: living in a van, something with wheels. It has little to do with the vehicle itself. It doesn’t matter what kind of work you do, or where you spend most of your time. It doesn’t matter what specific kind of vehicle you drive, or how much you spent on ‘building it out’ or buying it. It doesn’t matter whether you travel all over or stay around one region, or whether you live full time, part time, or just on weekends.

Vanlife does involve living in a van, yes. That demands a minimalist approach which is cathartic in itself – living with less. There is often travel involved which itself is rewarding. There is greater access to adventures, climbing, biking, tramping, kayaking, which can only be good. But deeper than that, vanlife is about the commitment to create the most fulfilling life you can for yourself. It’s about not settling for what you “should” be doing, it’s about focusing on what’s meaningful in your life and shedding what isn’t. Best surmised as ‘more fun with less’ and about ‘creating your own path’.