Tom and Chris have chosen freedom and adventure

Tom and Chris Frentz live in New Zealand, but have recently completed an eight-week hiking adventure in France. Eight years ago, they started planning for a life of freedom and adventure. Step by step, they have moved closer to their dream, which started with getting a campervan, living in it for six months and trying their hand at working on a vineyard.

Tom and Chris are relatives of Peter's son's wife, and we got the chance to interview them on Sunday, the day after we met at a crayfish disc.

When did you decide on a different lifestyle?

"We used to live a very ordinary life," says Chris. 'We lived in Auckland with our two sons. I worked as an accountant and Tom worked for an IT company. We often rented a campervan on holiday and one morning eight years ago we woke up by the sea and asked ourselves "Where are we going to retire?". We realised that we wanted to be close to nature and that we wanted to live in Nelson, but that we also wanted to be able to easily travel from New Zealand.

How did you realise your dream?

Every decision we made after that day had the same goal. We bought property so that we could rent it out, thus earning an income without having to go to work every day. In 2013, we bought our house in Nelson and when Tom was finally able to retire, we rented out that house as well and bought a motorhome. Then we contacted a vineyard and asked if we could work there. It was six months in the campervan, while we worked on the farm.

Tell us about your motorhome!

Choosing a motorhome is not easy. "We first tried a motorhome with a drop-down bed, but that time I got sick," says Chris. "Then we realised that it doesn't work with one person lying in the bed and one person up. So we ended up with a motorhome with a fixed bed.

"We bought an Auto-Sleeper Malvern from the UK," says Tom. The advantage of British motorhomes is that they are built for left-hand traffic. It also met our other requirements, such as being a maximum of 7.5 metres long and suitable for the small roads of New Zealand.

Was it difficult to live in the motorhome for six months?

No, not at all! We have everything we need in the motorhome. But once we disagreed and had an argument, and I said I have nowhere to go," says Chris. "But as soon as I said that, we became friends again," she laughs.

What was it like to work on a vineyard?

'We love wine,' says Chris, 'and were keen to learn more about production. 'We worked on the farm for six months and there were different tasks at different times. Mostly the work was easy, but sometimes it was really hard.

"You get the minimum wage for the hours you work," Tom explains. 'Most people live in very basic camper vans with no toilet, but we lived comfortably in our camper van. During the harvest period, which lasted six weeks, we were needed all the time. The rest of the time we could take time off to hike and be in nature whenever we wanted.

Who works on a vineyard?

"We were the oldest," says Chris, laughing. Most of the people working on the vineyard are young people from other countries who are in New Zealand on working holiday visas. On the farm there were young people from France, Germany, USA, South America and Denmark. In addition, men from poor Pacific islands are given the opportunity to work in the vineyards and bring money back to their families.

Your next adventure went to Europe ... tell us!

"We went to Europe with a 'special objective'," says Tom. We were going to hike the 'GR10 Trail', which runs along the Pyrenees, on the French side. You start at the Atlantic coast and then hike to the Mediterranean, a hike that took us eight weeks and one day.

Wow, what an adventure! How did you do with food and accommodation?

'We alternated different types of accommodation,' says Tom. 'We had a tent with us and sometimes we stayed in it. Other times it was simple bed and breakfasts. Every week we also spent two nights in a hotel. It was really nice! We always had emergency provisions with us, but only for an occasional meal because we didn't want to carry heavy things. Most of the time we had lunch in a small village and dinner in a restaurant where we stayed.

What was the best part of the hike?

"The hike was physically challenging but also rewarding," says Chris. 'The scenery was amazing and we got away from all the noise. There's something special about just having the stuff you carry on your back, and not having to think about anything other than what to eat and where to sleep that day. We also met some amazing people along the way. When you hike in New Zealand you don't meet any people so it was a different experience for us, which we enjoyed!

What was the toughest?

'The walk itself is tough,' explains Tom, 'and there are parts where it's steep, although there are usually fences to hold on to. "I thought it was scary with all the animals," says Chris. "Mice and groundhogs were ok, but I didn't like all the big horses and cows running free. We're not used to that. Once a stallion with his mare and foal got in our way and they wouldn't let us pass. We had to take a different route.

How did you manage the hike?

'I couldn't imagine the whole walk from the beginning,' says Tom. 'It felt too big. Instead, I tried to think one week at a time. It was only after 20 miles, a quarter of the way through, that I began to think it was actually possible.

We had trained a lot before, Tom continues. "Partly through hard work at the vineyard, but also because we had done some short hikes in New Zealand. We also thought that we are on holiday and that it should be fun. One day when it was raining and thundering, we took a bus for a short distance. The most important thing for us was not that we had to walk every metre.

What are your plans now?

In a few days we are travelling to Norway to meet friends, then it's time to go back to New Zealand. We will stay in our house in Nelson for a while, but otherwise the plans are quite open. We will of course be travelling with our motorhome again!

We're also thinking about volunteering, taking care of nature campsites or hikers' cabins. Then we'd probably like to embark on some new exciting hike... where exactly that will be remains to be seen.