So you want to adventure around New Zealand in a Campervan? Good choice. New Zealand is very road-trip friendly, and travelling New Zealand by campervan gives you flexibility and access to the hidden gems like nothing else can.
We’re Michelle and Alex, and we’re from New Zealand. We road-trip in a car all the time, but when we went campervanning we were surprised at how much we had to learn! Even in our own country!
So here’s all our tips and tricks covering campervan life in general, all the way through to following laws and local rules. Jump to a section or read everything for a complete overview.
CONTENTS- Picking up your Campervan
- Driving in New Zealand
- Cooking from your Campervan
- Camper Life – A tight squeeze
- Rainy day options
- Maps – Navigating your way around
- Know where you can camp
1. Our Campervan Story
While living in Christchurch we hired a campervan and went for a hoon around a top-of-the-South loop for 10 days to live the campervan dream!
Our Itinerary
> Departing Christchurch we shot up through the Lewis Pass to Nelson area.
> Then we drove the Takaka hill to Golden Bay – a few days checking out Farewell Spit, Wharariki Beach, the Heaphy track, Tata Beach, and gobbling down amazing icecreams in Pohara!
> Next we went for a cruise down the West Coast – through Greymouth, Westport, Punakaiki, and Hokitika.
> Finally we looped back to Christchurch with a few days in Arthurs Pass – stopping at Lake Brunner, hiking Avalanche Peak, camping at Klondyke Corner, and hiking Bealey Spur before heading back to Christchurch.
4 Myths About Campervanning in New Zealand
We adventured in nature, van-cooked our meals, and had a grand old time! The only thing that went wrong was that our boot (rear door) broke and didn’t open from day 2. As first-time campervanners, we busted a few myths that we previously thought were true!
Myth 1 – “Campervanning will be a cheap way to travel New Zealand.”
Yeah, nah. Not at all. If you want ‘cheap’ then take a bus and stay in hostels, or work on workaways. A campervan trip in New Zealand is even more expensive than hiring a car and staying in hostels. See our ‘Costs‘ section below.
Myth 2 – “I saw somewhere I could hire a camper for $19 a day.”
That would be some good ol’ campervan marketing that got you there. That $19 per day is likely a base price, before insurance, in the off season, for the oldest and slowest campervan in New Zealand.
Myth 3 – “We can park up and sleep wherever we want.”
Incorrecto amigo! As a goodie-good country people here expect visitors to follow ALL the campervan rules… turns out there are quite a few! Top tip – if you hire a campervan with a toilet, you can park in a lot more places to stay the night (make sure the campervan has a “self-contained sticker on it to prove it!).
Myth 4 – “We’ll throw our stuff inside, slam the door, and drive away.”
Wrong. This caused mayhem – food and belongings everywhere. We had to pack like a boat and keep everything shipshape. Everything needs to be stowed in it’s proper place, which you’ll quickly find after a couple of days on the road.
2. Planning Your Trip
Drivers Licence
First things first – can you legally drive in New Zealand?
Probably yes – if your drivers licence is in English, or you have an International Drivers License that has an English translation. You may want to check a few of the other rules around driver licensing in New Zealand published by the NZTA (our government department that covers this stuff).
Where to start and finish
North to South, or South to North? Or a section in-between?
Your start and finish points will revolve around:
North Island
– Auckland at the top, the biggest city and largest NZ airport that most international visitors fly into.
– Wellington at the bottom, the capital city from where you take the ferry across to the South Island.
South Island
– Christchurch partway down, largest city and airport in the South Island.
– Queenstown near the bottom, a large and busy tourist town.
You can pick up a campervan easily enough in any of the above cities, travelling the length of New Zealand. Auckland-Queenstown is probably the most common, but travelling in the opposite direction (requires flying to Queenstown first) doesn’t have any downsides and may result in cheaper campervan hireage.
Be sure to ask if your campervan company charges one-way fees (when you drop off at a different place from pickup).
Cost – Compare campervan rental prices and options
When hiring a campervan the biggest 3 factors to consider are:
- Price (base price – e.g. $19/day up to $350/day for a 6-bed RV)
- Year & make (you’re looking for reliability and fuel efficiency here)
- Self-contained (freedom camping!) versus no toilet in your campervan (legally must camp at sites with toilets)
Other factors to consider are whether your company has depots/multiple locations around the country if something goes wrong, and how their customer service has been when dealing with them collecting quotes.
Here are some example prices (NZD) for hiring a self-contained campervan in New Zealand based on two people for 14 days (updated January 2019).
Campervan
Insurance
One-way fee
Campgrounds
Fuel
Groceries
Eating Out
Ferry (1-way, 2 ppl + vehicle)
Total
$1680 ($120 p/day)
$380 (some cover)
$300
$176 ($22 pp every 3rd night)
$500 (~2500km)
$700
$140 ($35 of fast food every 3rd night)
$233
NZD $4,109
$2100 ($150 p/day)
$530 (full cover)
$300
$308 ($22 pp every 2nd night)
$600 (~2500km)
$700
$245 ($35 fast food every 2nd night)
$370 (7m vehicle)
NZD $5,153
Tips for decreasing the cost of campervan hire
The price can change a lot depending on:
- The season. Summer (Dec-Feb) is peak tourist season. You can get a better price on the edge of the season (Nov or Mar) or in the off-season.
- Self-contained (toilet onboard) versus no toilet. This affects where you can stay. We recommend getting a toilet! When we did our trip, we regretted not paying for self-contained, which actually meant that we had to spend more time searching for campsites (and more money) to stay in places with toilets. There are many regions where you’ll be able to freedom camp if you are self-contained with the all-important blue sticker on your van!
- Length of hire – for long term hires the price can ease down, or with months up your sleeve you could consider purchasing an ex-rental campervan and resell it before leaving the country.
- Inbetween parties – try to book directly with the rental company, avoiding agents and comparison websites.
- Pickup/drop-off points – you can avoid one-way fees if you either return to where you started, or travel in the opposite direction to everyone else travelling from Auckland southward.
- Included gear – find out what is included (pots/pans/bedding/etc) so that you know what to pack/bring/buy.
Cost of just the Campervan – Base Price
Campervan promotions might advertise ‘from $19/day’ – but these are the eye-catching prices to draw you in.
These prices will usually get you a smaller, older vehicle (heavy on gas and more likely to break down) in low season, and require a 14 day minimum rental. You can still make these factors work for you if price is a strong consideration, just be aware that you get what you pay for.
In reality, if you follow our minimum recommendations (a self-contained, not too old vehicle) you will be looking at over $100 per night.
Optional Extras
It’s common to be able to pay a little bit more to hire an extra cooker, a table, deckchairs, WiFi hotspot, or a GPS. While internet on the go can be handy, for basic items like tables and chairs it might work out cheaper to just buy them from The Warehouse or Kmart (if you want them).
Fuel considerations
Petrol is expensive in New Zealand, so make sure it is part of your budget. If you go for a diesel vehicle, while it can appear cheaper at the pump be aware that all diesel vehicles pay an extra Road User Charges cost based on Km driven – this is payable when you return your rental vehicle.
Insurance
This can cost NZD $5-$60 per day depending on the campervan size and year. It’s typically $25-35 per day for a 2-berth van-style campervan.
We strongly recommend getting insurance cover! It completely removes the risk of your trip-of-a-lifetime turning into the financial burden of a lifetime. Accidents do happen. In tourist season traffic is busy and we see a lot of bad drivers on the roads. The cost can be high if you are liable for damages to any vehicle/person/building.
Other costs to consider
Young drivers fee – if you are under 25 years old, some companies will charge extra.
Ferry costs – going one-way between islands with your camper and two passengers on the ferry will cost from NZD $230.
Snow chain rental – if you’re planning on going to ski fields in winter, some ski field roads require snow chains.
3. On The Road
Picking up your Campervan
What to expect: at pickup with your rental company you’ll be paying any outstanding balance, adding extra equipment that you changed your mind on, and checking the vehicle to make sure everything works. They’ll do a quick pre-hire inspection with you to note down any existing damage.
Be sure to ask the rental company for any activity brochures or campground guides they have.
Driving in New Zealand
A few pointers:
- First things first, we drive on the left-hand side of the road. When Michelle’s mum started living in New Zealand her trick was to make sure she was always seated in the middle of the road.
- “Drive to the conditions” was a big road safety campaign in New Zealand a few years back, and it basically means that you don’t have to hit the speed limit if the weather or winding narrow roads make it unsafe to do so.
- If you are driving slower than the speed limit, keep an eye on traffic building up behind you. It’s polite to pull over when safe to let people pass.
- One-lane bridges might be new to you. Basically only traffic in one direction has the right of way on the bridge – the direction of the smaller arrow must stop for other traffic. You can see examples and read more here.
- Sheep! …or other animals may be moving between paddocks on the road. Best to stop, drive slow, and enjoy the hilarity =)
Cooking from your Campervan
Cooking up a delicious dinner while parked up with a beach (or mountain) sunset is what campervanning in New Zealand is all about for us.
We had a simple setup that included a small fridge (on a second battery, so it would run continously), and two gas elements with simple pots/pans/plates/cutlery.
Great meals for van life include pasta or rice-based one pot wonders like spagbol or risotto, bbq-ed meat plus a salad, burgers or wraps, anything with eggs, and crepes/pancakes with banana and chocolate toppings for a real treat =)
Be sure to open up the van door/windows when cooking so that you don’t gas out the place!
Camper Life – A tight squeeze
Even with a bigger campervan, you’re still living in each others pockets 24/7. For those that need their alone time, make the most of good weather to get out and about!
Go off by yourself sometimes to read a book, take a walk, or go on a grocery store mission… because when it rains you are stuck in a small space!
Rainy day options
Let’s brainstorm here… what can you do when it rains during your campervan trip?
- Hit the road, drive carefully during the dud weather to your next (hopefully) fairweather destination!
- Google the nearest public pool and have a swim or soak in the spa!
- Shopping – be a mall-rat, dine in a food-court and pick up a few kiwi souvenirs for your family.
- Catch a new release on the big screen at your nearest movie theatre. Popcorn for the win!
- Play cards or a board game.. if you packed them =)
- Visit the local library for some reading or computer usage (trip-planning or sharing photos with family!)
- Treat yourself to a café visit – we recommend a couple of cafés on each of our destination pages.
- Museums? You might be into those I guess… Not really our cup of tea but nonetheless a good wet-day activity.
Maps – Navigating your way around
Google Maps works well anywhere you have service. Except for the occasional roadworks Google Maps has high accuracy and reliability in New Zealand.
The Maps.Me app is our favourite offline option for when you are way out in the middle of nowhere or don’t have spare data! It has provided us incredible detail even on random village walking tracks when hiking in South America!
Handy Apps – don’t forget to download the Camper Mate app or Camping NZ app! They both have offline maps with a bunch of free and paid camping locations (and other facilities like gas stations, public toilets, free wifi spots, supermarkets, refuse dump stations, information centres), along with reviews and price information.
Know where you can camp
Be a Tidy Kiwi!
Wherever you stay, please help keep our country clean and tidy. If you do leave rubbish around, sooner or later a kiwi will have a ‘polite discussion’ with you that this is not the way we do things round here.
– Use your own or public toilets; don’t use the bush or waterways.
– Leave it better than you found it, leaving no trace of your stay, and for extra points put any rubbish you see in a nearby bin.
– Don’t let soaps/toothpaste/detergents get into waterways.
– Only use dump stations to dispose of your campervan toilet refuse.
Free/Cheap – Freedom Camping and DOC Campsites
Freedom Camping
Just you and the view. Can you pull over wherever you want to stay the night?
Unfortunately it’s a bit trickier than that. Rather than expecting everywhere should be free to park up, expect to have to find the free areas.
From experience, it’s best to plan ahead a day or two – we had a few tense times when it was getting to 9pm, dark, gas almost empty, and we were doing last-minute research to find free/cheap spots and avoid campground fees.
Each region/council has different bylaws. It’s easier to sleep at night without worrying about an inspector or the police knocking on your door in the wee hours and asking you to move on, and handing over a hefty fine.
At Freedom Camping spots you might find basic facilities like picnic tables and rubbish bins if you’re lucky.
The best research tools:
– The Freedom Camping New Zealand website (https://www.freedomcamping.org/) is your friend here.
– Ask any I-SITE visitor information centres, or Department of Conservation visitor centres.
– Find holiday parks around New Zealand – https://www.holidayparks.co.nz/
– Read about the New Zealand Laws, plus local bylaws by Council – https://www.freedomcamping.org/plan-your-trip-2/laws/
Avoid:
– Private property, without landowners permission – if you have to climb a fence or open a gate, or if a driveway/gravel road leads to a house, then that’s probably private property.
– No Camping zones – these will be clearly marked by council signs. These have normally come about because these spots have been treated poorly by campers in the past.
– If your campervan isn’t self-contained, it’s illegal for you to stay the night anywhere that doesn’t have toilet facilities.
DOC Campsites
The Department of Conservation (DOC) manage all the national parks in New Zealand, and there is a pretty great network of campsites which you can search here on their site.
Depending on the services available, the campsites range from Free for almost no facilities up to $21 per adult per night on a powered site.
Campgrounds & Holiday Parks
Campgrounds and Holiday Parks in New Zealand generally cost $17-24 a night/per person. But prices will depend on their location and facilities.
They are perfect for campers that aren’t self-contained and for everyone during a stretch of bad weather! They are privately owned and operated by on-site staff who you’ll meet when you check in and out. You can also ask them for information about the local area.
You can expect facilities such as common bathrooms/showers (cleaned regularly), rubbish/recycling facilities and a shared kitchen area. They sometimes come with a common room, powered/unpowered sites, and a laundry (likely coin-operated).
4. Finishing your trip
Understand the return conditions in your rental agreement:
- Cleanliness – how clean do you need to return your vehicle to not be charged?
- Fuel – you may need to return your vehicle full of fuel or face a refuelling fee.
- Diesel? – if your vehicle is a diesel, then expect the rental company to take a final odometer reading to charge you Road User Charges (basically ‘diesel-fees’), per kilometre driven.
- Transport out of there – if catching a flight, check in advance if the rental company runs a shuttle van to the airport, and understand how far away the airport is so that you can leave enough time to travel after all the drop-off procedures.
Phew! You made it to the end of our this campervan guide. Now you can take a holiday in your campervan to relax!
