Bivouac Campers is a New Zealand based distributor of outdoor adventure products. Based in the Bay of Plenty, we source innovative products from around the world, engineered to help kiwi's explore the natural wonders that NZ offers - be it mountain range, forest, or lakeside vistas.
Whatever your passion, Bivouac Campers provides quality products to help you enjoy life to the full.
Born in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, Chris was 8 when his family emigrated to NZ, and grew up in the rural areas surrounding Christchurch. He completed a Diploma in Land Surveying at Dunedin University and joined Lands and Survey Dept, and spent some years working in the South Island high country. Chris remembers using Land Rovers in those days to access in shearers quarters to camp around Mt Cook and McKenzie Country.
Chris moved around, shifting up to Pukekohe, with surveying work around Franklin and Waikato. Taking a break from Survey work, he obtained his Commercial Pilots Licence in late 80s and had many adventures flying around the country, including 6 weeks flying around the USA, and a trip from Africa to NZ, ferrying a historic Catalina Flying Boat. Now living in Tauranga, he and Fergus crew both still crew on Catalina in their spare time!
Chris has adventured in Australia many times, travelling in the outback - the most memorable being a two week trip up the telegraph track in 4WD to the top of Cape York. Visiting outdoor and off-road trade shows in Australia peeked his interest in Off-Road Camping, and the application this would have in NZ.
"Fergus and I are excited to bring some of the NZ outdoors within reach of people here. It has been very successful and popular so far and we intend to be in it for the long term and are dedicated to our customers."
Fergus initial introduction to off-road campers was when he was working for a diamonds mining company in Australia. His work involved a lot of time in the Northern Territory, using Land Cruisers to access remote areas, where they would set up camp and conduct sampling programs using a Hiller 12E helicopter. This was the beginning of his interest in both 4x wheel drive vehicles and flying.
"Off-road campers were numerous in the area and although our company only provided us with a Kitchen tent, I could see the advantages of a quick pitch forward fold camper.On returning to NZ I saw that off-road campers were few and far between, so after a discussion with Chris, whom I had met through the Catalina Club, we pooled our resources and decided to test the market.
Now we are pleased to be supplying the NZ market, and hope that this will enable more people to explore and appreciate the remote areas in New Zealand."
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