Travel insurance, a year away.

Hi folks,

I'm going to be taking a year long, more like 14 months, career break travelling around New Zealand and also spending a short time in New Zealand.
I'd love to take the following gear with me but fear it will be too expensive to insure:
D7100
200-500mm + 11-16mm and maybe one other lens. So a value approaching £2000.

On previous trips I've had worldwide cover on my home insurance but that has been for short periods away and as I'm moving abroad I'll no longer have home insurance anyway.

So what I'm asking is are there any companies you'd recommend, what might be the likely cost and am I mad for even thinking about taking that gear with me considering I'll be spending time in hostels etc.

My brief search so turned up policies for shorter periods and lower value items which just wouldn't fit the bill.

Whilst typing this I've just thought of another option. Should I just buy a bridge camera like the P900 and save myself the stress and hassle of lugging all that heavy and expensive gear.
If insurance is going to work out at more than a couple of hundred quid perhaps I should just put that towards buying a more practical camera for the trip?
My concern with getting a bridge camera is that I'll come away from a trip to one of the most beautiful parts of the world with pictures that I'm not happy with. Photography isn't the main purpose of the trip but I do want to take lots of wildlife and landscape photos.

Thanks in advance for the help, I've been away for a while but know there's always helpful folk here.

Wow, nice hiatus. :encouragement:

nikonpup said:

do you have the original receipts for your equipment? In the us i would go to my insurance agent and get a policy to cover my equipment. Make sure you have coverage in new zealand.

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Most were bought online so I don't have receipts as such but I'm sure I will have the invoice emails etc.
I've been giving it some thought today and I think I've pretty much decided to get a very good bridge camera instead. What I will sacrifice in IQ will be more than compensated by practicality and piece of mind. I've got until June until I make the trip so plenty of time to figure out which fixed lens camera to get.
The travel insurance I'm taking out looks to have £500 cover for equipment like cameras so that might be enough to cover the electronics I'll have with me.

Make sure you spend most of the time in the South Island, as it is the scenic one.... Ideally make sure your first port of call is Christchurch (not Auckland)

nzswift said:

Make sure you spend most of the time in the South Island, as it is the scenic one.... Ideally make sure your first port of call is Christchurch (not Auckland)

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That's good to know as we were actually thinking of starting in Auckland but haven't booked our flights yet. I think our logic was that it might be better to visit the North Island first as it will be winter but nothing set in stone yet. We visited the South Island for just 6 days and it was beautiful so certainly want to explore it more. We intend to buy a van of some sort when we get there. There seems to be a lot of camper type vans on the market as like minded travellers buy and sell them often. Interested to here why you recommend Christchurch as the first port of call?

nzswift said:

Make sure you spend most of the time in the South Island, as it is the scenic one.... Ideally make sure your first port of call is Christchurch (not Auckland)

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It's been many years since I've visited NZ (2001 I think?), but I have to agree with this. Auckland reminded me of a very clean San Francisco, but the South Island...that's what blew my mind and has me wanting to go back!


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There are only 3 international airports in NZ. Auckland is the only one in the NI. South has Christchurch and Queenstown (which is mainly used by Asian tourists coming from their trip to Australia).
Christchurch is slap bang in the centre of the SI so you can plan your trip easier. Got munted by earthquakes some years ago but won't bother anyone in a campervan.
You will need to hire a van with built in toilet as there has been an uproar here about tourists here defecating in public spaces, rivers, etc.

nzswift said:

There are only 3 international airports in NZ. Auckland is the only one in the NI. South has Christchurch and Queenstown (which is mainly used by Asian tourists coming from their trip in Oz). Christchurch is slap bang in the centre of the SI so you can plane your trip easier

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That makes sense, we'll be flying across from Sydney, not sure if that will make any difference. Last time we flew into Queenstown and were immediately blown away, that's why we're coming back!

Elliot87 said:

That makes sense, we'll be flying across from Sydney, not sure if that will make any difference. Last time we flew into Queenstown and were immediately blown away, that's why we're coming back!

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Queenstown was my favorite. That lake is amazing!


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