Going camping as Kiwis head back to work and school

Kiwis typically head off on holiday over Christmas and New Year – it’s a time for family and friends when people take advantage of the festive season and tack on some holiday.

But while the weather at this time is pretty good it’s not usually the most settled, especially in the north.  

Unfortunately for Kiwis, the best days of summer are more often than not in the second half of January and in February, just when they return to normal life.

This leaves the country free for visitors to enjoy – great for travellers, not so good for those needing to earn and learn!

The long days of a New Zealand summer beckon, with good weather and warmth across the country.

For those still with time off, one of the best ways to explore and get the most from the country is camping, especially if you are on a budget.

There’s all sorts of different ways to go camping, from carrying everything on your back and heading off into the wilderness to glamping, or glamourous camping.

With its convenience and hassle free nature, glamping is becoming increasingly popular.  There’s no putting up and taking down of tents and all the equipment is on site – comfortable beds, linen, stoves and hobs, barbecues and even fridge freezers.

Glamping may sound like cheating but remember you can still sleep in a tent, hear the rustle of the wind in the trees and perhaps the waves on a beach.

And if sleeping outdoors just isn’t your thing, many holiday parks have cabins and self-contained units as well.

Whatever way you choose, there are a huge range of holiday parks, campsites and other more unusual places to rest your head:

Holiday Parks – all types of camping in one place

There is a culture of camping in New Zealand of loading cars, vans, trailers and roof racks, with home comforts and toys, and transporting them to wherever the tent is pitched.

Wandering around a camping ground you will see the trappings of home life from sofas, fridges, gas stoves and large multi-burner barbeques, to TVs and even gnomes and fairy lights.  Not to mention the toys such as kayaks, fishing boats, surf-boards and bikes.  

As an agricultural country some say the popularity of dense campsites originates from remote rural workers wanting to be close to lots of people once a year – for them this was a holiday.

So up and down the country over Christmas and New Year you will see campsites looking like tented villages, teeming with people having fun.  

While being in such close proximity to others may not sound relaxing, the popularity of this type of camping tells a different story.  

There is no doubt it is a lot of fun – kids disappear to play with new found friends, invites arrive from neighbours for social events, beach expeditions and even fishing trips, and it’s a great way to meet people and feel part of a community.  

The Holiday Park Association of New Zealand is the best place to start if you want to find a camping ground to suit your travel plans, whether you are a backpacker, couple, group of friends or family on holiday.  

If you are travelling around the country try looking for a network of campgrounds such as Top 10 Holiday Parks or Kiwi Holiday Parks both of which have around 45 locations across the country.  This means you can book different locations with one organisation.

Located in some of the best places in New Zealand, usually close to beaches, mountains and lakes these parks have every type of camping accommodation on offer from cabins to unpowered campsites.

They also offer a huge range of activities from kids to adults so there’s no excuse not to have lots to do.

While incredibly popular they are less busy after the Kiwi schools go back at the beginning of February and the Waitangi Day holiday, which is on the Monday on or around the 6th February.

If you are travelling in later months, most holiday parks are open all year round – just bring a warmer sleeping bag!

Holiday Parks have also embraced glamping but this will vary from park to park.  

Quirky, original and unique places to stay

New Zealand also has a huge range of niche and quirky places to sleep – Kiwi ingenuity even extends to being creative about what traditionally is just called accommodation!

So if you are looking for something unusual, romantic or just something to tell your friends about, you can book a night in anything from a tipi, to a yurt, treehouse or converted train carriage.

Listings for these unique over-night locations can be found at New Zealand Tourism Guide or just search New Zealand glamping.

You can also truly spoil yourselves with luxury camping, where you might be sleeping outdoors but still have the trappings of an upmarket hotel or lodge.

Try looking at Canopy Camping where you will find all sorts of interesting places that make the choice difficult including Hobbit-style under-earth houses, little cabins in remote locations and even tents with outdoor baths!

Getting away from it all camping

For many, camping means going bush, or at least not heading to a campsite where cheek by jowl seems to be the way to go.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation, or DoC as it’s known locally, operate a large network of designated camp sites that will have fewer facilities and laid-on activities compared to the large private holiday park networks but are full of character and adventure.

DoC manages more than 200 conservation campsites. The choice includes forest settings, lakeshores and sandy beaches.  Many camping websites talk about the famous, or iconic, Kiwi camping holiday.  DoC camp sites offer an escape that is probably about as authentic as you can get.  

At the high end, DoC campsites have facilities like flush toilets, tap water, kitchen/cooking bench, hot showers, rubbish collection and road access for all types of vehicles.   Laundry facilities, barbecues, fireplaces, cookers and picnic tables may be provided.  These cost $15 per adult per night, and $7.50 for children and teenagers aged 4-18 years – so pretty cheap.

From here they get less expensive but with less facilities over the next four categories: serviced, standard, basic (free) and backcountry.

There are also 60 campsites on New Zealand’s Great Walks – this type of camping is all about living off what’s on your back.  There are nine Great Walks across the country, all of which are premier tracks through diverse and spectacular scenery – from native forests, lakes and rivers to rugged mountain peaks, deep gorges and vast valleys.

It’s common knowledge that New Zealand has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, helped by the films of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies.  

But it’s when you actually visit and see the views for yourself that the true magnificence is revealed.  And the Great Walks have much of the scenery you would have seen in books, online and in movies.

Want a bargain – some advice about free camping

Now for the really budget, budget opportunity – free campsites!

There are around 340 ‘free’ campsites around New Zealand designated by local councils and DoC.

With the help of technology finding them is now easy.

The best way is to download the app from www.campermate.co.nz a free New Zealand Travel app that shows you nearby locations of everything you’ll need when travelling from petrol stations to public toilets and camping sites.

The only other type of camping to mention in New Zealand is freedom camping, which is putting up tents or parking up campervans in areas not designated for camping.

Freedom camping in New Zealand is permitted on public conservation land, except in areas where it is expressly prohibited or restricted to self-contained vehicles. This is indicated by signage.  Private landowners may also allow you to camp but make sure you get permission before you set up.

If you are unsure of where you can freedom camp the best thing to do is talk to the local visitor centre or i-Site who will be able to give you advice.  The last thing you would want is to have problems because you didn’t know.

To be sure, the best way to go is to choose designated campsites.

If you are visiting New Zealand for the scenery, to be outdoors, meet locals and be part of Kiwi life, camping is probably the best way to travel.  

There are hundreds of camping sites across New Zealand so you will be spoilt for choice.

You will see staggering scenery, hear remarkable bird song, sleep close to a beach or lake, eat well from your own or other people’s barbecue, and if you want comfort or even more uniqueness, you can always choose glamping.

Most importantly of all, you will talk about it for years!

Enjoy our wonderful country and please drive safely.