New Zealand | Tips and 30 (!) places to camp for free

You can enter many places New Zealand free camping. These will of course be the Free Campsites named. Incidentally, you are only allowed on these free camping spots if you are self-sufficient (self-contained) are. This means in New Zealand (April 2023) that you have a toilet, clean water and also a place to dump your own waste water. Unfortunately, this will change and I have briefly included this, including a link to the correct information, in the travel information blog about New Zealand. I would like to share some fantastic or just very practical, and therefore free, campsites with you!

Before you go camping for free

Before you read on, it's good to know that all these spots are for self-sufficient cars and campervans. Again, this will change in the future, so make sure you're still allowed to stand there. Unfortunately, the fines do not lie…

Also read: New Zealand | Tips for buying a car or campervan

In addition, it is very good to know that free camping spots are becoming increasingly scarce. This is because locals complain about the rubbish that is left behind or the bad handling of the nature around these places.

That is why I would like to emphasize that nature really needs to be protected! Please don't leave a mess, absolutely nothing. Please use your own waste water, after all you are self-sufficient. So don't brush your teeth outside or throw away the washing-up water in the bushes. You wouldn't do any of this at home either, so please don't do it in a place where you are a guest…

Free campsites on the North Island

Near Ocean Beach

near Ocean Beach (Location here) is a great place, where about ten others can stand. This number depends on how wide the campers will stand. There are a number of signs that you have to stand between. The other parking spaces are only for day parkers. There is one toilet and a cold outdoor shower. Unfortunately, the outdoor shower was not clean when we were there, because some iron / rust came out of the tap. It is also a nice place for a number of walks and for surfing on Ocean Beach.

On the coast near Thames

This place on the coast Thames (Location here) is an ideal place in between Auckland (Location here) and take in the sights Coromandel Peninsula (Location here) to sleep. There are several places and you can do some shopping at the store within a short walking distance Grab 'n Save. In addition, there is a beautiful park in front of the parking spaces.

Unfortunately, the toilets are a bit of a walk (at a small train station) and they close at 20.00 p.m. You can go to other toilets in the center of Thames, but these are really a bit further away. Don't be alarmed by cars next to you the next morning, because these parking spaces are also used by many employees of the supermarket.

On the lake in Tairua

Into the lake Duplicate is a small, busy location (location here). So try not to get here too late. We were lucky ourselves and we had the last spot around 20.00 p.m., but several drove back after us disappointed. A lawn in front of the parking spaces makes this place ideal and you can enjoy a sunset. Don't feel like setting out your table and chairs? Then you can use the picnic tables in the grass. There are toilets next to the parking spaces that you can use.

On the lake in Rotorua

Into the lake Rotorua (Location here) it was very quiet and nice, but very simple. There are two toilets and a field. With good weather there is a beautiful sunset on the lake. The choice to stand here instead of the city of Rotorua is because the area around the city stinks of geysers. You don't have this at this location, so that saves a lot of stench.

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On the Waikato River, near Huka Falls and Lake Taupo

This place on the Waikato River (Location here) was fairly busy, but there is enough space to arrive, for example, at the beginning of the evening. Unfortunately there is only one toilet. You are standing on the Waikato River, where the Huka Falls also lie down.

Incidentally, you still have to drive for less than fifteen minutes for the famous viewpoint over the Huka Falls. You can also walk there, but this is a short 7 kilometer walk. You can also see the opening of the lock from this camping site and that is certainly worth mentioning!

In the parking lot in National Park, ideal before or after Tongariro Alpine Crossing

At this location (location here) you have to be careful. It is not the campsite, but the parking lot next to it. It is a kind of parking lot for a Park & ​​Ride, but you can also spend the night here. You can then use the facilities of the campsite next door. The two toilets are free to use, but there are also two showers and washing facilities. These can only be used against payment and you can make this payment via a KiwiTag. You can buy these at the gas station on the main road. With this tag you can take a hot shower for $2 for five minutes and do some laundry and/or use the dryer for $4 each time.

Also read: New Zealand | Tips for buying a car or campervan

On the lake in New Plymouth

This lakeside spot was in on the weekend New Plymouth (Location here) very busy, but not during the week. On those busy weekends there are still places to be found, but maybe not at the lake. If you arrive early, you have a better chance of getting a spot on the lake! There are two toilets. The only downside to being on the lake during the day is that boats and water skis pass by nonstop. It was quite a bit of noise, but if you can appreciate this, it's a top spot!

In the North Egmont Visitor Center parking lot

The parking lot North Egmont Visitor Centre (Location here) is not a pretty place, but it is extremely useful if you want to start a hike early the next day from here. You have to be careful where you put your campervan, but you can legally sleep there. The North Egmont Visitor Center is open from 8.00 a.m. to 15.00 p.m., but outside these hours there are two restrooms that you can use throughout the day and night.

On the waterfront at Hastings

By the water Hastings is a fantastic place (location here), especially in good weather. You are literally on the sea here, with a pebble beach. Unfortunately we had a lot of wind here, but the sun still made up for it. It is a very large place so plenty of room to arrive late in the evening. In addition to two toilets, there is also a drinking water point. The sunrise here is very beautiful to see in clear weather.

At the harbor in Wellington

At the port of Wellington is a kind of parking lot (location here) and I'll say it right away: it's incredibly busy! Here you really have to be on time or simply be lucky, because a camper leaves for the ferry, for example. As a result, we spent one night in the smallest (and then last) spot. We were then moved to a more spacious place around 06.30:XNUMX am the next day. This allowed our neighbors and ourselves to get out of the campervans normally again. After that we stayed there for two more nights.

You can stay here for no less than four nights per calendar month. We can recommend leaving your campervan here and walking (45 minutes) to the center. This way you are and remain assured of your spot. In addition to two toilets, there is a drinking water point. Given the crowds at this location, there is often a queue for the toilet. There is also a swimming pool within five minutes walking distance where you can take a hot shower for a few dollars.

Free campsites in the South Island

Right downtown in Nelson

In Nelson do you have spots in the parking (location here) in the middle of the center where you can spend the night. There are several places in the parking lot, but we can recommend the one next to the place where you can go to the toilet, shower and wash the most. Two toilets stay open all night, but the rest of the facilities are only open until about 17.00pm.

Keep in mind that you are right in the center and can therefore hear some noises at night. When all shops open again the next day, you will notice this immediately, because then the parking lot will be a lot fuller again. During the opening hours of the shops you unfortunately have to pay to be allowed to stand here.

Below the town of Blenheim

There are two free camping spots in and around Blenheim. Because one of them is in the center, we chose the one outside the center. A nice quiet place (location here). The toilets are a little further away, but it is fine to walk. You can safely arrive a little later in the day, because it is not a busy camping spot. There were a total of 10 marked camping spots.

In the center of Kaikoura

In the centre of kaikoura are only a limited number of free camping spots. There are only 16 in total and they are spread over two locations (location here). You are only allowed to spend a maximum of one night at both locations and they are both very popular. We spent one night at both locations and were always just in time. Around 12 to 1 o'clock in the afternoon the places were already taken, so be on time for these places!

At the large parking lot of these two camping pitches (location here) you have to pay for parking until 17.30 pm. Since this is only a small amount per hour, it is worth parking and paying earlier if you have secured a spot.

Outside the center of Kaikoura

There are several free campsites in Kaikoura and you can stay a maximum of one night on all of them. This is not ideal, especially if you (like us) have to stay longer because a tour is cancelled. You can then hop between three other free campsites, but eventually also choose a paid campsite. If the latter is necessary, we can recommend the lawn (opposite the first mentioned spot below). It's just a plain grassy field at $20 per campervan, but an ideal place to stay.

The first free spot (location here) is about 40 minutes walking distance from the center and has six spots. There are two toilets and it is very beautiful on the water. The second free spot (location here) has twenty places, but unfortunately there are no toilets. It's definitely not a pretty place. You will find toilets at a swimming pool within a ten-minute walk, but these are only open during opening hours. The third place (location here) has fifteen spots and is a bit further away, but is nicer than the second.

Between Kaikoura and Christchurch

Just before Sewage, seen from Kaikoura, is this free campsite (location here) with a limited number of places. There are ten places available and when we got there there was only one other camper. It is advisable not to arrive here too late, because during the evening all places eventually filled up. There are two toilets near the pitches.

In the area you can do a walking or cycling wine tour, but you can also go to a vineyard yourself to do a wine tasting there. We are at the vineyard greystone and thought it was a must. So if you are on time at this campsite, you can walk there and you are already assured of a spot at the campsite after the wine tasting.

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In Timaru

There are two free camping spots, but unfortunately one was closed due to an event when we were there. However, this place was a lot closer to the location where you can see the penguins in the evening, so if it is open, we can recommend it in terms of location. The name of this place is Caroline Bay (Location here).

If you want a super nice, quiet place on the water, we can offer you our free place to sleep (location here) definitely recommend. We only arrived after watching the penguins and then there was just space left for us. Yet we heard that this location is never busy and so this time it was only busier because that other location was closed.

When you drive towards it, you will come to a fork and you can choose left or right. We went right there and if you drive far enough (until you can't go any further), you will arrive at a nice place to sleep. At the end there is a sign stating that the toilets are 250 meters away. Although there is already a kind of toilet cubicle, it is wiser to walk 250 meters further. There is a toilet room next to a sports field that you can use and a lot cleaner!

Two locations near Lake Pukaki

Rondom Lake Pukaki there are several free campsites and that is ideal, because you can enjoy yourself in this area. It is also nice that you can stay here for several days at most free campsites.

The first camping pitch (location here) is in a kind of forest. Unfortunately there is only one toilet and it was very smelly. It is an ideal place to leave for the morning Mount cookSince you are near the fork of State Highway 8 to Mount Cook Road.

The second location (location here) is the most beautiful and busiest. Despite the crowds, there was more than enough space, but the most beautiful spots were already taken. Although the places next to the toilet are often still free and that is actually a nice place. You can of course quickly reach the toilet from there, but also enter the water.

In addition, you have a fantastic view of the sunset from that spot. These toilets, four of them, are the only toilets of this large spacious campsite. A second night we stood far from it and then it is a long walk.

Between Lake Pukaki and Queenstown

This free campsite between Lake Pukaki en Queenstown (Location here) is again no more than a lawn along the water with two simple toilets. It is quiet, but when it is quiet in the evening, you can hear the cars passing by on the roads. We have not had any problems with that, by the way. It was an ideal place for us to sleep between Lake Pukaki and Queenstown.

Between Queenstown and Te Anau

The free campsite between Queenstown and Te Anau is actually the last free campsite (location here) for Milford Sound and this is a very nice place. It actually had everything. You shouldn't imagine too much about the campsite, because it's just parking spaces in the middle of the center.

What is really ideal about it is that there is a supermarket, you can shower for a fee, you can wash for a fee, there are picnic tables, a dump for your dirty water, a drinking water point, there is a place to wash your dishes to do and as the pinnacle really clean toilets! We can also recommend the fries from the Chinese fries/fish tent opposite the washing machines.

Between Queenstown and Wanaka

An ideal place in between Queenstown en Wanaka (Location here), because there is enough space. If you arrive on time, you can probably stand at the lake. Even if there is no room at the lake, it is a nice location to spend the night. There are a number of toilets and you can also dispose of waste there. This is not possible in many places, so always ideal if it is possible.

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Near Wanaka

In and close by Wanaka unfortunately there is no free camping. You can sleep for free at a location nearby, but make no mistake, this is quite a drive. This is an ideal location if you do the hike to the Rob Roy Glacier want to make. The free campsite (location here) is the parking lot of the Rob Roy Glacier Track. We did not know this in advance and therefore did not sleep here, but it seemed like a beautiful place with several toilets.

Between Hokitika (Gorge) and Arthur's Pass

After a day in and around Be careful and perhaps just like us in the evening at the Glow Worms look, you don't want to drive too far for a camping spot. Of course there are several campsites, but unfortunately not a free campsite. Just a little further in the direction Arthur's Pass. So if, like us, you are looking for a free place to stay between Hokitika and Arthur's Pass, then this is a good spot. It is in fact on the road, a parking lot of a cafe. Unfortunately, this cafe is only open during the day, which means that there are no toilets in the evening. It is appreciated to get a coffee from them the next morning, for example. We certainly did! The cafe is called Honey Cafe (Location here).

On the Lewis Pass road

To the Lewis Pass we were able to camp for free twice. Namely nearby Hammer Springs and in the village Reefton. The first place (location here) is a place in the middle of nature and to our surprise the two toilets were completely clean. There are ten spots and eventually these were all filled at the beginning of the evening. We were there on time and could therefore still choose which spot we wanted, but we should not have arrived much later, then we would not have had a place.

The second place (location here) in the village Reefton also had limited spots and again this one was full. We did see a lot of locals here who were together for a weekend away. It was indeed the weekend, so it may well be that these places do not fill up so quickly on average. There are two toilets near these sleeping places and there is a swimming pool within walking distance where you can take a hot shower for a fee.

On the coast at Greymouth

This spot at Greymouth (Location here) we found a really delicious one. The camping spot is again a parking lot, but in a nice, quiet place. Please note, not all places are intended for overnight stays. There are also places to park during the day only. There are two toilets nearby and there is also a cold shower. If you like surfing, this is a great place. Many locals also came to surf here and then used that cold shower at the end.

What is also very cool is that many dolphins swim here. We saw them around the end of the afternoon. The best spot to spot the dolphins is at the end of the pier. You can also see a beautiful sunset here.

Near the beach in Westport

It is a little further from the beach than we expected, but you can walk there in a few minutes from this sleeping place in westport (Location here). The beach is not that special, but it is a quiet spot. It is therefore really outside the center of the (otherwise not special) Westport. There is a toilet, but for the number of possible sleeping places, this is quite few. There are 30 free sleeping places and there is also a paid camping site nearby that can use the same toilets.

Near the harbor in Motueka

Into the harbour Motueka is a very small and popular spot (location here), so you can always increase the chance of spending the night here by being there on time. We were lucky here once and arrived at 17.00 p.m. However, we have heard that there are also days when this sleeping place was already fully occupied around 14.00 p.m.

The good thing about this place is that there is a nice cold shower, two clean toilets and two changing rooms. You can also swim laps on the coast in a kind of swimming pool with salt water. It is very attractive to spend the night in the parking space next to it, but we do not recommend this. In this place they were very strict and we have seen them hand out fines.

In the hip village of Takaka

There is in the village Takaka one free camping spot (location here) and this one is also limited. Yet they did not see the parking lot full. It is a parking lot in the middle of the center with toilets a short five-minute walk away. A little further, near the large supermarket, there is also a toilet block where you can also take a hot shower for a fee. Together with a location for drinking water, dumping your dirty water and several waste bins, this village provided a warm welcome to the free campers. The only drawback is that you have to be away from the parking lot at 7 in the morning, but you often see that at free camping spots in New Zealand.

Below the center of Christchurch

In Christchurch you can only camp for free for a limited time. The free camping spots are not available at weekends and you can stay there for a maximum of four nights out of 30 days, but again only two nights in the same place. By the way, your second location must also be at least 500 meters away. If, like us, you come there twice within a month, for example, you have to pay close attention to this.

We have another tip for a place (location here) south of Christchurch city center which is about a twenty minute drive away. It is a very large place and you certainly do not have to be here at a certain time. There are several picnic tables, several toilets and there are also possibilities to wash dishes.

In Akara

Right next to the village Akaroa are there parking spaces (location here) where you can spend the night. There are about twelve and with good weather they are so full. Unfortunately we were unlucky with the weather at this place, but because of that we had obtained a free place to sleep. You can easily walk to the toilets from this place and if you walk a little further you will walk right into the center of this small village.

On the coast in Christchurch

In Christchurch you can not just spend the night for free, but fortunately it is close by. The free sleeping places (location here) are again a kind of parking places, but since you are close to the beach, it is still a nice place. Depending on where you are exactly, the two toilets are a short walk or very close. The location of the toilets is called Thomson Skate Park. There is also a drinking water tap at these toilets and if you want to shower, there is a cold outdoor shower a little further. This shower, and probably more toilets, can be found at North Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.

You may stay at the designated locations for a total of four nights per 28 days, but please note that you may stay at the same place for a maximum of two consecutive nights. You can stay 500 meters away from the other two nights. I would recommend adhering to these rules as we have seen them checked every night we have been here.

It is good to know that not all locals are happy with these free places to stay. To keep them, it is better to keep them on good terms as an overnighter. Do not sit on the sidewalk and cycle paths (also for your own safety) and make sure that your doors do not hang over the sidewalk. In the evening and night you have a chance of cars driving by honking.

Closing comments

Hopefully you have found this blog useful, because there are a lot of useful or beautiful places. Just as good to repeat is that free camping is really a gift from New Zealand. So treat this option really valuable and treat the surrounding nature well. For example, do not dump waste and washing-up water. This way many more other travelers can enjoy this beautiful country after you.

In addition, also a reminder that the rules regarding the free camping spots will change in the coming years, so keep an eye on this. Also don't forget to look up when it is dark at camping spots where there is hardly anything. No lighting means seeing more stars in a clear sky. Enjoy!