Ah, actually, apart from the extensive perks we Aussies have regarding getting around the schengen agreement to the extent that we could easily spend forever just in Europe and UK and Ireland without even bothering with morocco and turkey and other eastern europe non-schengen countries because of grandfathered treaties with Germany, Scandinavia, Holland and a few others going back to just after the war and that are still in effect, New Zealand has an even better deal. Nearly all Shengen countries allow Kiwis to stay in their country for three months regardless of the stupid 3-month-in-total schengen allowance. Needs a little attention to detail in retaining fuel receipts and ferry tickets and you might have to bash the odd ignorant immigration officer over the head with the bundle of rolled up treaties to get them to agree, but it is doable. Provided you are both New Zealanders, the Schengen thing is not a factor. Even if it was, you can spend 6 months in the UK, three months through ?? in Europe, cross to Morocco for three months, then another three months in Europe followed by three months in Turkey and then there are the delightful Balkan countries that aren't in the schengen area and what about Russia and even Iran which does need a Carnet for your vehicle, but unlike the poor Brits and americans, can be visited without needing a guide to tag along. And then there is Ireland - maybe 3 or 6 months and not part of schengen.
As for UK vehicles, There is at least one UK company that will insure foreigners without having a clean license for two years as seems to be the case with most UK insurers. We owned a UK vehicle in South America using a British postal address and it was an easy procedure done by mail.
We bought our Europe motorhome - one year old with 15,000 on the clock - in Germany 6 years ago and most years spend 3 to 6 months in greater Europe. The company we bought it from stores it for us in their yard and registers and insures and TUVs it ready for when we get there and cancels it all when we leave. The savings in rental fees have paid for it three times over and it is good for a few more years yet.
Don't give up as it is all quite doable and we have done similar deals in the USA and South America.
Just one little trick. Many airlines get quite thingy about complying with international rules regarding having to have return tickets. Qantas is particularly paranoid and it has taken all of my considerably BS skills to get past their checkin counters - although if you fly business or first class they don't seem to care so much - so to get around them easily you need to book a cross-channel ferry ticket for say two months after you arrive. Print it out and then cancel the purchase (or if there is a cooling off period or fee-free cancellation that is even better) That way you have a ticket out of the country and then the Oz carrier will lose interest.
