A Wānaka worker who lives at a local campground says it’s “not too bad” living in a van during winter.

The man, who we’ll call Rob, told the Wānaka App he moved to Wānaka last November, and living in his vehicle is a lifestyle choice.

Rob is an easy going guy who often uses the phrase “it’s all good”. He works about 26 hours a week which leaves him “plenty of time to have outdoor adventures”.

The van is “pretty warm really”, he says, and he wards off the cold with “lots of blankets, the same way anyone would keep warm in a house without insulation”. 

“For me, I’m not going to find a place that’s warm and affordable.

“It’s definitely a choice. In the winter it’s not that common [to live in your vehicle].”

Rob said he camps with a community of about 10 to 15 people, some of whom are solo travellers who enjoy the safety of the group. They socialise and often eat communally.

Most of them also work part time.

“They want three days off [a week] to go on adventures,” Rob said.

“I think there’s been more of a realisation of that around Covid. That’s when I quit my job and thought ‘there’s more to life than this’.

“I didn’t have any time for myself.”

He had been working the same job for eight years and owned his own home. He sold up to pay for study, and finished his degree last year.

While Rob is enjoying the freedom of his lifestyle, he says there are others living long-term at the campground who don’t seem to be enjoying life as much.

There’s “an air of poverty” around part of the camp, Rob said.

Among his own community there are people who would rather be living indoors.

“There definitely are people that have been looking for houses. They like the community aspect but would like somewhere warm to have community rather than the cold… they can’t pick up a place," he said.

“They’ve viewed four or five different places and got through some steps but haven’t managed to find anywhere.”

Rents cost “a lot”, he said.

Rob is lucky to be able to shower at work, he uses a laundromat in town, and cooks outdoors.

Living in a van year-round has its challenges, and one of the biggest was drying out condensation. 

The van “stays damp” this time of year, he said. 

But Rob hasn’t been sick; in fact he said: “I feel the healthiest I’ve ever been.”

While one of the major advantages of living in his van is saving on rent money, Rob said there’s another important one: “connection to the outdoors”.

When Rob’s mother visited recently and stayed in an AirBnB, he stayed with her for one night and felt a bit disconnected to the outdoors for the next few days.

“Some people say it helps make them more resilient,” he said.

PHOTO: Supplied