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Back in 2015, the then-Suits actress packed three duffle bags for a two week-long road trip in a rented camper van with a friend, plotting a course around the South Island before jetting northwards to the wine island of Waiheke off the coast of Aukland.
But Meghan Markle had never holidayed in a camper van before, admitting in an interview with in 2015 Conde Nast Traveller that she “didn’t even know it was a verb”, but that it appealed to parts of the road trips with her father Thomas and Girl Scouts with her mother Doria during her childhood.
She said: “I was told to let go of my impressions of RV culture in the US, that it was a totally different thing in New Zealand.”
Meghan stayed in a number of campsites during her free-spirited trip, but that will certainly be a world away from the level of accommodation she will experience with her new husband Harry.
Despite this, she loved the “rustic experience” of the campsites, adding they were impeccably kept with “fresh flowers in the bathroom” and “staggering scenery”.
When talking through her itinerary to Conde Nest Traveller, Meghan revealed she visited Queenstown, which she described as “a stunning place to arrive, filled with endless adventure and standout restaurants”.
She added: “In one day, I relished the kindness of the people and the beauty of the land.”
Meghan tried her hand at fly fishing in Lake Wanaka and stopped by Cinema Paradiso to catch a film and eat freshly-baked cookies.
She then hiked of Franz Josef Glacier and once that was completed, continued up the “photo-worthy” coastline to visit seal colonies, “where you see handsome fellas like these within arms’ reach”.
Meghan visited the wineries of Marlborough, of which Hans Herzog and Kim Crawford were standouts, where she sipped sauvignon blanc before heading back to a number of local Havelock restaurants for a bowl of mussels and baked bread.
During a visit to Kaikoura and Akaroa, she swam in the open sea with dolphins, describing it as an “unforgettable experience”.
Meghan ended her camper van trip with a spot of luxury in Waiheke, where she stayed in a holiday home or “bach” and ate fresh linguine in a white wine sauce.
When Meghan and Prince Harry visit the country this year, it will no doubt be a very different experience for the Duchess, with the newlyweds staying in luxurious hotels and wearing different designer outfits each day.
They will tour Australia and New Zealand just as Princess Diana and Prince Charles did on their inaugural trip in 1983 – coinciding with the Invictus Games in Sydney in October, which Harry created.
The Duke and Duchess may even spend time at the official residence of the Queen’s representative in New Zealand – the picturesque Government House in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington.
Kensington Palace has also confirmed Meghan and Harry will also visit Fiji and Tonga at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
During Kate Middleton and Prince Williams’ tour of New Zealand with their son Prince George in 2014, the royal couple stayed in the luxury Wharekauhau Lodge just outside Wellington.
It costs from £544 per person per night to stay there, and includes access to walk-in wardrobes, heated marble floors and baths large enough to swim in.
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