Our Wireless Nation Customer Advisory Panel
At Wireless Nation, we deeply value the contributions of our Customer Advisory Panel volunteers. This dedicated group of members plays an essential role in shaping our services, ensuring they meet the unique needs of motorhome enthusiasts across New Zealand. Their diverse backgrounds, coupled with their passion for travel and technology, provide us with invaluable insights that help us continuously improve our offerings. We appreciate their time and knowledge and we are delighted to introduce them to you.
Des Austin
Hi, I’m Des Austin. My background is in agriculture and training. (Specifically, technology and personal development.) This professional passion is in addition to my favourite long-time hobby of travelling in motorhomes. I am currently semi-retired and can help several volunteer organisations, including NZMCA and CAB. I enjoy being part of the Customer Advisory Panel with Wireless Nation.
I love to see people succeed! My involvement with the company is an amazing opportunity to work with the other advisors, and team members, to exchange skills, ideas, and new developments in technology. This is all done for the benefit of customers and staff.
Sharon & Kathy
Sharon Hastie and Kathy Hall are full-time pensioners, on the road since Kathy had a health scare in 2020. They decided that they didn’t know what was coming next and would make the most of any time left. Kathy’s background is in communications and management and Sharon’s is in IT and management. They travel in a 9 metre bus called “Ladies in Red” with their now three year old Shitzu/Toy poodle, X, and spend a lot of time house and pet sitting along the way. This is all done while exploring this wonderful country.
They are on the Customer Advisory Panel (CAP) because they believe Wireless Nation has a lot to offer “full timers” such as them. This is also because they rely on their connection for many aspects of their day-to-day living. They like that they can help others as Kathy comes from a non-technical perspective and Sharon from a highly technical perspective. Talk about a win-win!
John Van Stipriaan
Have been a happy customer since 2016 when living full time on the road. In Jan 2025 I came off the road and now have a permanent residence. I still travel around and find the versatility of being to simply swap the modem between house and motorhome a treat way to retain connectivity.
Back in 2016, I was one of the first people to test Wireless Nation’s modems for the NZMCA. Now, I’m on their Customer Advisory Panel helping them improve their products and services for other NZMCA members!
Joye Halford
Hi, I’m Joye Halford and when I’m not home I’m one of many Kiwis travelling around this beautiful country of New Zealand, in my motorhome. My past professional experience was as a secondary school teacher. My present, well let’s just say, I’m enjoying my retired life.
My connection while on the road (be it for my motorhome, caravan, car or luxury motel) is always with Wireless Nation broadband and mobile. Wherever I go – my portable WiFi goes. No fibre or copper connection for me! This product is mobile, just like me, and I’m always connected.
Jason Wright
Often my wife and I would be out and about in our motorhome, and needed a good internet connection so we joined Wireless Nation back in 2019.
The great thing about our portable modem is that we use the modem at home too. We have even taken it to places like Chatham Island and Pitt Island and it worked great! I decided to join the Customer Advisory Panel, as I wanted to give back and help out other NZMCA members.
Karen Nisbet
Eventually, I bought a piece of land and had a child. During the house build, the poor caravan became our temporary kitchen! These days, my child and I are “weekend warriors,” taking shorter trips to more kid-friendly spots whenever we can.
I joined Wireless Nation during my nomadic years, when I needed reliable internet to run my graphic design business, upload YouTube videos, and stream the occasional movie. I’m still with Wireless Nation today. It’s perfect both for working from home and staying connected when we’re out on the road.
Jord & Tommy
Originally from the UK, we now proudly call Aotearoa New Zealand home and have been living full-time on the road here for several years. Before that, we spent two incredible years travelling around Australia in our campervan, where our love for vanlife truly began.
We’ve explored New Zealand in everything from campervans to motorhomes and now caravans, always chasing the freedom of off-grid living. You’ll often find us deep in the bush, winding through alpine passes, tucked away on remote coastlines, or at big events in bustling cities. But no matter where we are, staying connected is essential to how we live and work. Tom works remotely in IT, Jord writes freelance for a New Zealand travel magazine, and together we run Tasman Travels, our vlog, YouTube channel, and social platforms where we share the real, raw, and rewarding parts of vanlife across the country. Whether we’re editing videos, creating content, or researching our next stop, a solid connection keeps everything rolling.
We’re now continuing our adventures as Official Brand Ambassadors for Australis Caravans in our brand-new, custom-built caravan, designed to make life on the move as comfortable and practical as possible. As we enter this exciting chapter, we’re also looking forward to learning from and using Wireless Nation to stay reliably connected, wherever the road takes us.
As part of the Customer Advisory Panel, we’re excited to share our real-world experiences and help shape services that support fellow digital nomads, off-grid explorers, and remote workers across Aotearoa.