NZ Campground Options for Caravanners
It’s now been eight months since we started traveling the South Island in our caravan, and we’ve learned a lot about campgrounds since. There are so many options available for people who want to sleep in their vehicles, from privately owned campgrounds and holiday parks with powered and not-powered sites to campgrounds managed by the Department of Conservation and Freedom Campsites. Of all the different campground types, there are three that we found to suit us perfectly and that we use exclusively:
DOC Campgrounds, NZMCA Campgrounds and Freedom Campsites.
I’d like to tell you a bit more about these options because in our experience they can offer:
1. Minimum costs
2. Maximum flexibility
2. Reliable coverage all over New Zealand
3. Knowing what to expect (check-in, prices, rules, etc.)
4. The full range of locations – from isolated DOC campgrounds with the most breathtaking scenery over convenient freedom campsites along the route to hassle-free NZMCA campgrounds with drinking water and dump stations
In the eight months we’ve travelled the South Island, we’ve never needed to resort to other, more expensive campgrounds. BUT we have solar panels and a battery on board as well as our own toilet and shower. If you need powered sites and nice facilities, then these options might not be for you.
DOC Campgrounds
Purakanui Bay DOC Campground
These campgrounds are located on conservation land and are managed by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. That means these campgrounds are usually in the most beautiful places: by the beach, beside lakes and rivers or in forests. There are more than 200 of these campsites nationwide, and many of them have hiking tracks starting directly from the campsite.
The fees for DOC campgrounds depend on the size, amenities and popularity of the campground but are between $5 and $18 per adult per night. If you’re planning to stay in DOC campgrounds quite often, I would definitely recommend getting a campsite pass. These can be purchased for either 30 nights or 365 nights and are $95 and $195 per adult respectively. If you’re a member of the NZMCA (more about that later) there’s a 10% discount on campsite passes. Campsite passes can be used on most DOC campgrounds and allow you to stay at each campsite for a maximum of 7 nights within a 30-day period. Despite the campsite pass you still need to book in advance for the period of your stay. This can best be done online via the DOC website. You can arrive any time after 2pm on your first day and you have to vacate the campsite by 10am on your last day.
Mavora Lakes DOC Campground
Because DOC campgrounds are mostly located on conservation land, in or close to national parks and in remote places, you shouldn’t expect to find showers, flushing toilets, drinking water or dump stations there. Usually these campgrounds only have long-drop toilets and non-potable (no drinking) water, some of them have picnic tables and shelters but not all of them. You can use DOC campgrounds even if your vehicle is not certified self-contained.
NZMCA Campgrounds
As a New Zealand resident or citizen, you can become a member of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA). The membership consists of a $150 dollars one-off joining fee plus a yearly fee of $102 – per vehicle, not per person! The vehicle must be certified self-contained but does not have to be your own. You can join even if you don’t own a caravan, campervan or motorhome yet or if you intent to rent one, as long as it is certified self-contained.
The NZMCA has a network of 60 campgrounds across the country (for members only), and once you’re a member they’re only $5 per night per adult. Children under the age of 16 are free. Many of these campgrounds have dump stations, potable (drinking) water and small community rooms with bookshelves, dvds, boardgames, info-material etc. The campgrounds are gated and (most of the time) locked - members have an access code. As opposed to DOC campgrounds, where you have to check out by 10am, you can leave an NZMCA campground on your last day as late as you wish.
An additional benefit to being an NZMCA member are the discounts you can get with their partners such as the Department of Conservation, the Interislander and Bluebridge Ferries (this discount is significant!!), petrol stations and retailers like Noel Leeming (electronics) and Torpedo7 (sports/outdoors).
The NZMCA smartphone app, only available to members, is another small but really cool benefit which we use and trust every day. It’s kept up to date by NZMCA members and has a map that shows all kinds of different campsites (not only NZMCA but also DOC, Freedom and regular campsites) and public facilities (toilets, showers, dump stations, drinking water, LPG, laundromats, recycling centres etc.). The app includes all the information one needs, such as prices, rules and capacities of campground, photos, ratings and comments, as well as directions and deals on activities. It has never led us astray.
Many NZMCA campgrounds are located conveniently within or close to cities and towns, so we love to use them whenever we need a break from being in the wilderness or need a quick stopover without making a detour. Most of them are very pragmatic - large, level, gravelly squares with a dump station and drinking water in the centre - and not overly pretty. There are exceptions, of course, like the NZMCA campground in Manapouri. But mostly they’re not the kind of campgrounds you’d go to if you want to just sit outside and relax. They are a great base for adventures and day-trips in the vicinity, though, and perfect for rainy weeks. They are also more likely to have mobile phone and internet reception than DOC campgrounds.
Freedom Campsites
Freedom Campsite beside SH1 (Desert Road)
It is generally not allowed to freedom camp in New Zealand, meaning you can’t just camp and sleep wherever you want to, but you don’t really need to anyway: there are dedicated Freedom Campsites that you can go to instead, if you want to sleep for free (or just use the beautiful, affordable DOC campgrounds or any of the other amazing private options that I won’t be talking about here but can be found on Campermate and other apps).
All Day Bay Freedom Campsite
Some Freedom Campgrounds are just parking spaces in cities or next to roads, convenient if you’re on a roadtrip and just need to spend the night somewhere before travelling on. There are beautiful spots where you can freedom camp as well, though, next to beaches or in forests, but you definitely need to check the rules and regulations for each freedom campground beforehand, or else it can get expensive. There are usually limits as to how many nights you can spend in one place, whether you must vacate the spot during the day and how many vehicles can be there at any given time. You can get all the necessary information from apps like Campermate, Camping NZ or the NZMCA app.
Lake Camp Freedom Campsite
Please note that even on Freedom Campsites your vehicle needs to be certified self-contained for you to legally camp there! Let’s all keep New Zealand clean and beautiful! : )