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Our favourite New Zealand
camping sites

We’ve stayed at a lot of New Zealand camping sites during our camper van vacations in New Zealand. And there’s one thing we can say: as for camping New Zealand is definitely our favourite country. Imagine: every evening, after enjoying for a full day the New Zealand countryside and some of the various attractions New Zealand has to offer, you arrive at a clean, well equipped camping site. There you relax, have a drink, prepare your evening meal in your camper van or in the communal kitchen (most of the New Zealand camping sites have a communal kitchen, with freezers, fridges, microwaves and ovens for free use!), and have a chat with your fellow campervanners. Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful camping experience?

Of course, not all of the New Zealand camping sites are the same. Roughly, they can be divided into three main categories:

  • Commercial camping sites (ca 400)
    About 75% of the commercial camping sites are members of the HAPNZ (Holiday Accommodation Parks of New Zealand). Those camping sites generally offer power points, as well as good quality toilets and showers.

  • Camping sites managed by the Department of Conservation
    Of the DOC camping sites ca 200 are vehicle accessible. These sites are generally more basic. There are three categories of DOC camping sites: serviced sites, standard sites and informal sites. Only the serviced and (most of the) standard sites are suitable for campervanners.

  • Camping sites run by local councils (ca 100)
    Finally, there are camping sites that are run by local councils, like the Auckland Regional Council.

Not all camping sites are open year round, so if you plan a camper van holiday in winter, check in advance.

To help you choose which camping site to stay on, Here’s our personal top 10. Their order (from 1 to 10) is the order in which you’re probably going to visit them when you rent your camper van in Auckland. For those who start their New Zealand camper van vacation in Christchurch, this order will of course be different.

  1. Takapuna Beach Holiday Park - This holiday park makes for a fantastic start of you camper van vacation! It’s very close to Auckland, just 15 minutes drive from the city centre by car or by bus. The Takapuna Beach Holiday Park is located at the beachfront of Takapuna, and offers superb views of Rangitoto Island, a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf.

  2. Haruru Falls Resort Panorama – Another magnificent camping site, located in the Bay of Islands. From here it’s about a one hour walk to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. The walk leads you through a beautiful mangrove forest.

  3. Taupo Motor Camp - We liked this camping site primarily because of its location (on the banks of the Waikato River, near the marina of Taupo), and because its proximity to the town centre of Taupo (only 200m).

  4. Top 10 Hutt Park Holiday Park – This is one of the few camping sites near Wellington. As Wellington is built on hills, there are not a lot of camping sites to choose from in this area. We opted for the Hutt Park Holiday Park. It might be a good idea to book this camping site in advance during high season: it can be crowded because it’s so close to the ferry terminals for the South Island.

  5. Mountain View Top 10 Holiday Park – Superb camping site, situated only 400m of the famous thermal pools and town centre of Hamner Springs. Another thing we enjoyed of this site, is that we finally could play a game of squash again!

  6. Forest Park At Rainforest Retreat – A new camping site, very close to the village centre of Franz Josef Glacier (250 m). This is a good base for trips to the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers and to the famous Mirror Lake (Lake Matheson).
  7. Glentanner Park – Located about 20km south of Mt Cook Village and a must because of its spectacular views of Mt Cook. We just couldn't stop taking pictures!

  8. Akaroa Top 10 Holiday Park – This holiday park has great views, as it is situated on the hill above Akaroa Harbour, Banks Peninsula. The park is only a 500m walk from the village centre, but via a very steep descent (and ascent)! The first immigrants of Akaroa were of French origin, and the town tries to maintain a French atmosphere.

  9. The Staging Post – Located some 50km South of Kaikoura, this camping site is one of a kind. For those of you who like farm camping, don't miss this one! We liked the relaxed atmosphere and the beautiful views of the Kaikoura Mountains. Staying here felt like being on holiday within a holiday.

  10. Gum Tree Farm Motor Park – If you make it as far south as Invercargill, this motor park is the place to stay. It’s relatively new, appr. 5 km from the city centre, a quiet and pleasant place.


    11. Tips

    • The best camping guide we've come across is the New Zealand camping guide by Gay Kerr. There's a North island and a South Island edition. The guide offers short descriptions of almost all New Zealand camping sites: commercial sites, sites managed by the DOC (Department of Conservation) and sites managed by local authorities. They are for sale in bookshops, as well as through the Internet.
    • For a totally different camping experience, we'd recommend Native Parks, a network of rural properties and businesses throughout New Zealand. As a Native Parks member you are allowed to stay overnight, meet the people and experience these private properties first hand.
    • You can download guides of the DOC camping sites for free from the DOC website.
    • Wilderness Motorhomes also has a good guide to Camping in New Zealand.


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