We all want to travel cheaply...

[Waihou Thumper]

Save on food, lodgings and stay away from the booze..
That sure adds up don't it?
I have been thinking about this and why could we not make use of what New Zealand has to offer? We live in a great country and the camping spots are abound...
Te Papa Atawhai... DoC to us non Te Karere watchers...there are plenty of sites around New Zealand that are either free or for a minimal charge ($4-7) we can stay in.
Of course the lattes and the hot showers may be lacking somewhat, but already you have saved a bucket load on accomodation. AND, to make it interesting DoC place these campsites at the end of metal roads and out of the way places...
The next thing to be concerned with is food. Well, here Subway comes to mind....Now I know a lot may ridicule the possibility and may want a hearty meal at the end of a ride but what about loading up on a foot long, riding out to the campground and having a lovely bite watching the sunset? I dare say even fish and chips would suffice provinding there was somewhere to uplift on the way to a good night's kip.
I have all of the DoC campgrounds on my GPS, I can load the Subways and even fish and chip shops...Imagine a great weekend away, two nights and all we had to really worry about was fuel costs because the food and lodgings was minimal...
I am planning a trip this summer in the South Island, I will work out my lodgings as I go, hit a waypoint and travel to it, there is my bed for the night. On the way I will pick up my dinner, thereby saving a shit load of weight and costs....This enables me to really be 'out in the wilderness' if required....
Of course I can still have my coffee or tea in the morning because I have my stove, fuel and billy....I think that this could be a grwat way to travel for the thrifty among us. I am more than willing to give this ago, it does remind me of tramping albeit with a motorcycle, that's the only difference.....
Picking up food on the way isn't practical in the middle of the Hollyford Valley or the St James Walkway is it?
On a Motorbike, we have to at some stage travel through a town or village or worse case scenario a city
Pick up your grub, head on out to the DoC campground and have fun on the way...
Thoughts gents? Some may already do this...I am packing for a weekend right at this moment and I have saved Kgs in weight as we speak!

[Taz]

Nothing wrong with my single gas cooker thingy and a can of spag and sausages for a meal. easily backed up by a couple of meusli bars. I'm cheap.....

[JATZ]

Y'know you could make it cheaper if you ate 2 min noodles, and road kill...

We have been taking uncle bens rice away. Just heat and eat.... chuck in a bit of meat if you like. Better and cheaper than subway. Camping is definitly the way to go if your on a budget

[dmc]

Or at the other end of the scale, a change of clothes and a credit card

[Woodman]

Do away with the cooker completely and just eat cold baked beans etc,

[bart]

It's amazing how many laughs you can stuff into a hipflask.

[Gremlin]

Camping? Yeah, fuck that. I like a nice meal, great bed and shower, then I'll happily do long distances.

[doc]

I've thought about doin a budget trip, be interesting how cheap you could get around the Sth Island for. I've done over 20 trips down there mostly from Auckland.
When I started use to get away with a hundy a day. A lot of it involves how much you want to carry. Backpackers are getting up there in price, but for the price difference to what some charge for tent sites I prefer b'packers. The other option would be to get friendly with KB'rs down there.

But they are mostly alocholics and usually away at friggen rallies.

[warewolf]

it does remind me of tramping albeit with a motorcycle

That's pretty much how we (me & Mrs) travel. The Trophy spent a lot of time parked up at track heads with the jackets & helmets locked on while we tramped.

I like the subway idea. Our minimalist camping kit consists of coffee making & drinking apparatus; just enough to pack up and hit the road for breakfast.

Another cheap meal idea: chuck a small tin of tuna in a packet of two minutes noodles (laksa is my current fave) or the Uncle Ben's rice.

[BMWST?]

those basic doc sites would be a cool way i reckon.As already suggested a cooker, billy and a coupla cans make for a fine meal.On the next day buy another evening meal on the way to the next basic.Pack credit card if its pissing down

[That looks like fun]

Back Country Cuisine, available at most outdoor centres. Light and easy to pack and eat. Most important thing to take is water for cooking, cleaning teeth and wet tee shirt competitions.
Tents are good but every now and then I flash the plastic and sleep in a bed

[tri boy]

Tents are good but every now and then I flash the plastic and sleep in a bed

Getting the "full monty overnight sleepover" package from the Eketahuna transvestite escort agency is hardly a great bed. (so I hear)

[Waihou Thumper]

Back Country Cuisine, available at most outdoor centres. Light and easy to pack and eat. Most important thing to take is water for cooking, cleaning teeth and wet tee shirt competitions.
Tents are good but every now and then I flash the plastic and sleep in a bed

I went down the de-hydrated route when tramping, I bought me a gizmo. By the time I bought the ingredients it was cheaper to buy it off the shelf. I still have some, they are way past due date but tasty....
They are not cheap though.....

[Waihou Thumper]

That's pretty much how we (me & Mrs) travel. The Trophy spent a lot of time parked up at track heads with the jackets & helmets locked on while we tramped.

I like the subway idea. Our minimalist camping kit consists of coffee making & drinking apparatus; just enough to pack up and hit the road for breakfast.

Another cheap meal idea: chuck a small tin of tuna in a packet of two minutes noodles (laksa is my current fave) or the Uncle Ben's rice.

Yes, that's the way, water and a cooker. Noodles, tuna and a bit of Pita....
Subway for dinner if required... two six inches go a long way.....So someone told me once...

[Waihou Thumper]

those basic doc sites would be a cool way i reckon.As already suggested a cooker, billy and a coupla cans make for a fine meal.On the next day buy another evening meal on the way to the next basic.Pack credit card if its pissing down

Most definitely....I have put them into my waypoints. I stayed at Spirits Bay this weekend, and it was awesome. Good facilities, plenty of loo paper and a stunning campsite...
Looking forward to viewing more over the SI....