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A Cost-Saving Guide to Freedom Camping in New Zealand ~ Article by Alicia Harney, pictures by Conor Lappin/Alicia Harney |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations & Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor
activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or
if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your
number one online resource.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor
activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or
if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your
number one online resource.
| Page 1 of 2 / Next Page |
A phenomenon exists in New Zealand that dominates the tourist industry here. Freedom camping
is the art of driving around this magnificent country, usually in a camper van, and camping in
areas of outstanding natural beauty (or beside smelly long drop toilets depending on the site you
end up with!).
As part of a year-long expedition, my boyfriend and I decided to hire a camper and explore alone.
After many bus journeys of more than 24 hours in South America we were happy to be in control
of our own destiny.
By the time I arrived in New Zealand I had well eaten into my allocated budget. Without wanting
to rely on credit cards, I have compiled a list of budget stretching tips to help enhance your
freedom camping experience.
The aim of this article is to enrich the knowledge of anyone considering freedom camping, with
tips on “off the beaten track” camp spots and ideas for cost free activities.
is the art of driving around this magnificent country, usually in a camper van, and camping in
areas of outstanding natural beauty (or beside smelly long drop toilets depending on the site you
end up with!).
As part of a year-long expedition, my boyfriend and I decided to hire a camper and explore alone.
After many bus journeys of more than 24 hours in South America we were happy to be in control
of our own destiny.
By the time I arrived in New Zealand I had well eaten into my allocated budget. Without wanting
to rely on credit cards, I have compiled a list of budget stretching tips to help enhance your
freedom camping experience.
The aim of this article is to enrich the knowledge of anyone considering freedom camping, with
tips on “off the beaten track” camp spots and ideas for cost free activities.
Go off Peak
Travelling in winter gave us the best bargaining tool when choosing our hire
company. Most hire companies we approached had a reduced rate for off
peak hire (up to $115/day difference). In the end we set aside nine weeks
to explore both the North and South Islands, and managed to bag the
camper van with fully covered insurance for less than $2000. This included
two drivers and some additional treats thrown in as a bonus!
Be aware that camper vans have limited or no insulation and so get cold,
particularly at night. Many of the campsites we used did not have power
points and so the only way to stay warm is to wrap up in as many layers as
possible and cuddle up! Of course, when restrictions do not apply, a great
big fire also saves on the cooking LPG and will keep you warm until you turn
in for the night.
The fire is also a great social point for other campers you may meet. No one
can resist the temptation to hang by the fire with a beer and new friends!
But being off peak also meant that we didn’t meet too many people; often
we stayed in isolated campsites or roadside lay-bys in hidden corners of the
country. In fact, one DOC campsite that is reservation only in summer we
had to ourselves!
Travelling in winter gave us the best bargaining tool when choosing our hire
company. Most hire companies we approached had a reduced rate for off
peak hire (up to $115/day difference). In the end we set aside nine weeks
to explore both the North and South Islands, and managed to bag the
camper van with fully covered insurance for less than $2000. This included
two drivers and some additional treats thrown in as a bonus!
Be aware that camper vans have limited or no insulation and so get cold,
particularly at night. Many of the campsites we used did not have power
points and so the only way to stay warm is to wrap up in as many layers as
possible and cuddle up! Of course, when restrictions do not apply, a great
big fire also saves on the cooking LPG and will keep you warm until you turn
in for the night.
The fire is also a great social point for other campers you may meet. No one
can resist the temptation to hang by the fire with a beer and new friends!
But being off peak also meant that we didn’t meet too many people; often
we stayed in isolated campsites or roadside lay-bys in hidden corners of the
country. In fact, one DOC campsite that is reservation only in summer we
had to ourselves!
Do you really need all those extras?
When choosing your campervan and deciding which one is best for your
needs, make sure you ask yourself this simple question: do I need this?
We chose a campervan with a straightforward two berth design; with a bed
that folds up to a table and bench set, complete with under-floor storage
and a simple pump sink and gas cooker. As freedom camping gets banned
and frowned upon by more and more councils around the country I would
recommend upgrading to a portable or on-board toilet as it is only legal to
camp in many places with a self-contained unit. However, if you plan to stay
in campsites every night then you would have no use for this; a simple fold
out van should be adequate.
It is not necessary to hire snow chains from your rental company. Often they
charge by the day, but if you need them (at ski fields or Milford Sounds) you
can get cheap day or multi-day hire deals.
When covering both islands consider a one way hire and fly back across the
Strait. It will save you the cost of the crossing (up the $400 with the van)
and a no frills airline, such as JetStar offer flights between the cities for as
little as $59.
Do take out full insurance. It is costly, but after a broken window on our
third night we were happy to have the stress of paying for it off our
shoulders. Particularly useful on long term rentals are capped rates. Escape
Rentals offer a reasonable $700 cap.
When choosing your campervan and deciding which one is best for your
needs, make sure you ask yourself this simple question: do I need this?
We chose a campervan with a straightforward two berth design; with a bed
that folds up to a table and bench set, complete with under-floor storage
and a simple pump sink and gas cooker. As freedom camping gets banned
and frowned upon by more and more councils around the country I would
recommend upgrading to a portable or on-board toilet as it is only legal to
camp in many places with a self-contained unit. However, if you plan to stay
in campsites every night then you would have no use for this; a simple fold
out van should be adequate.
It is not necessary to hire snow chains from your rental company. Often they
charge by the day, but if you need them (at ski fields or Milford Sounds) you
can get cheap day or multi-day hire deals.
When covering both islands consider a one way hire and fly back across the
Strait. It will save you the cost of the crossing (up the $400 with the van)
and a no frills airline, such as JetStar offer flights between the cities for as
little as $59.
Do take out full insurance. It is costly, but after a broken window on our
third night we were happy to have the stress of paying for it off our
shoulders. Particularly useful on long term rentals are capped rates. Escape
Rentals offer a reasonable $700 cap.
Do not pay for internet
A simple and straightforward tip, but anyone away from home for long
A simple and straightforward tip, but anyone away from home for long