Camping New Zealand with tent: tips and experiences
New Zealand is a perfect country for camping! You make the most beautiful memories in the middle of nature. We chose to travel with a tent in December. This was many times cheaper than renting a camper. What should you consider when camping with a tent in New Zealand? Read all our tips and experiences for camping in New Zealand with a tent!
Caming with a tent or self-contained vehicle?
There are basically two ways to camp in New Zealand: with a tent or a self-contained vehicle. The latter means that you have a vehicle that meets a number of requirements so that you can camp independently in more remote places, including the freedom campsites. We did not choose this, purely because the costs for such a vehicle were far too high for us. However, during our tour we noticed that more people drove a self-contained vehicle than camped with a tent. We believe it is much easier to camp with a self-contained vehicle than with a tent.
Campgrounds in New Zealand
In New Zealand you will mainly find DOC campsites. These are campsites managed by the government for which you pay a small amount per night. You can clearly see these campsites and costs on the Campermate app (free and can be used offline). The facilities at the campsites vary greatly, but keep in mind that you only have a drop toilet. Anything more is a bonus. For this reason we alternated sleeping in the tent with hostels; a shower from time to time was more than welcome!
The campsites can easily be reserved in advance, if necessary, via the DOC website. You can also register at the campsite via a form and put the money in a plastic bag. It is completely self-explanatory at the campsite.
Tip: make sure you have some small bills so that you can easily pay amounts such as 10, 15 and 20 dollars. We sometimes experienced people walking across the campsite with a 50 note that needed to be exchanged.
How to find a campground in New Zealand?
Finding a campsite is very easy in New Zealand. We mainly used the Campermate app. This app is completely free to use and also works without internet. Another option is the Wikicamps app, but you cannot use it completely free after a certain period and it is not available offline. It also works well to simply type ‘freedom camping’ on Google Maps. Make sure you check carefully whether you are allowed to stay there with a tent or just a self-contained vehicle. All campsites we have visited can be found on our Google Maps travel guide New Zealand.
Experiences camping with a tent in New Zealand
Ultimately, we really enjoyed traveling through New Zealand with a tent during our 3 weeks itinerary. But, you do miss quite a bit of comfort. You don’t have much space and it can sometimes get cold at night. Next time we might opt for a self-contained vehicle.
If you fly directly from the Netherlands, it is worth taking your complete camping equipment with you in your hold luggage. We flew from Australia during our world trip and bought a tent there. On arrival in New Zealand we had to declare the complete equipment to customs. This was further investigated without any problems. In New Zealand you can easily buy a tent at the large supermarkets or second-hand stores.
Tip: use a waterbottle from water-to-go for save drinking water. With the code wetraveloutdoor you’ll receive a discount of 15%!
