Freedom camping

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

By North & South magazine

Freedom camping fracas heats up with calls for campers to be "shot".

This summer, the freedom camping debate has had emotions running high nationwide. Following complaints from disgruntled locals fed up with encountering rest areas and scenic spots openly used as toilets by tourists, calls have been made by the Otago Conservation Board to ban campervans.

The president of the NZ Motor Caravan Association has even said those using sleeper vans without toilets or self-contained utilities should be "shot".

Queenstown Lakes District resident Brenda Cayless, whose house borders a popular picnic spot on the shores of Lake Wakitipu, told North & South magazine she's tired of having to tidy up after illegal campers, adding the instances of human waste are so plentiful she doesn't take her grandchildren to the lake anymore.

North & South also spoke to Queenstown Lakes District Council holiday parks manager Greg Hartshorne, who has nabbed up to 30 trespassers in one night in his campground.

When Hartshorne confronts occupants of sleeper vans parked right outside the campgrounds, they tell him campgrounds are too expensive.

"But the vans are full of booze so it's not like they haven't got any money. Besides, if someone comes on holiday and they can't afford to spend $20 a night on accommodation then I don't think they should be on holiday. These people aren't tourists, they're bludgers.”

However, with the average international campervan traveller spending three weeks and $6000 in New Zealand, campervan companies insist there's a place for sleeper vans in the backpacker market.

Escape general manager Brendon Pope told North & South that their customers might be travelling on a budget, "but when it comes to an experience, like a bungy or jet boat ride, they're still prepared to spend the money. Most of our clients are Europeans, who I’d suggest have a greater awareness of environmental issues."

When the fracas came to a head in 2007, the Tourism Industry Association initiated a freedom camping forum.

Group attendees represent all ends of the spectrum, from campervan companies to the holiday park association.

The forum chair, Tourism Industry Association (TIA) advocacy manager Geoff Ensor told North & South attendees were pro-freedom camping and agreed education was the crux of the solution.

As freedom camping rules vary from district to district, the forum created a slogan: "Assume nothing — always ask a local".

But getting that message across to international visitors may be a tricky task. As Cayless explains, only one traveller has ever asked whether they were allowed to camp in the picnic spot beside her house.

Should freedom camping be banned? Have your say below

For more on this issue get the March issue of North and South. Get a great subscription deal on North & South at magshop.co.nz.

Read more: travel news

User comments

I recently bought a van type campervan. It didn't have a toilet so I have cut off part of the sink bench to fit in a portable toilet. I also have a holding tank for sink waste(grey water). Both these ideas SHOULD BE MANDATORY IN ALL VAN TYPE CAMPERVANS. It is then an easy matter to dispose of at a DUMP STATION which are all over NZ.

The reality is that something needs to be done before this human polution problem gets totally out of hand. The more people... the more the possibility of people polution. There are two choices that seem logical to me... either the local governments provide toilet facilities in all rest areas and deal with the issues of servicing these so that they remain usable by all, or do something about the main offenders who in my view are those who rent the cheap, "not" self contained vans. In the past 5 years the number of choices for this type of rental seems to have trebled indicating they supply a ready market. Certify or license these vans with compulsory self contained chemical toilets and and enforce and educate those who rent them and huge step will be made to solve this problem.

I think it was dunedin councilor saying motorhomers did nothing for their district. Well that week i spent about $400- $600 in his area and him saying motorhomes should be banned will certainly make me spend all my money elsewhere. Get your head out of the sand councillor. TD.

I have just spent cruising the south island for 90 days and did 10000 km.I am certified self contained and am totally committed to keeping nz clean and green. In some places where we freedom camped we watched budget rental vans and tenters leave their mess behind and me and my camping partner felt sick at their unhygienic methods and in some places we just turned around and kept travelling in disgust at what these unselfcontained vehicles do to totally spoil the outdoors life for the majority...TD.

My husband and I free camped by mountain bike all over NZ 25 years ago and returned 18 years ago to get married. We love NZ and are returning this Christmas with our 3 kids to show them what a great country you have. We are planning a 4 week camping trip (camper trailer) and will both freedom camp and use camp grounds to help keep costs down. Airfares, car hire, camper trailer, petrol, passports and food already totals $6,000 and we haven't budgeted for activities other than tramping and swimming yet. We are all responsible campers, and would hate think we aren't welcome this time round because we can't afford 'better' accommodation . Maybe NZ isn't the friendly place we remember ? I'm also reading a lot about theft of property from these sites, another worry, and not great for tourism I would think. Please let those who can prove they are camping responsibly, continue camping, and fine those who can't. This would require rangers of course or local volunteers as suggested above.

No camping is ever free, as an association member we have spent alot of money and time making sure our van is self contained. Personally we have pulled into camping areas and refused to stay because of the human waste piled knee high in some places. Rental companys have no right allowing vans with no toileting facilitys roam our country destroying it. The polition isnt only unsightly and smelly it is a very real danger to the health of our country. No freedom camping unless you are fully certified as self contained should be a law not a matter for individual councils.

Freedom camping is cool and only the people who mess up the sites should be punished. If it was possable

Yes, we should have freedom camping but only is your vehicle has a self containment certificate. There are now plenty of dump stations around the country. The mess some people leave behind is a real disgrace. After all they have had to carry in their bottles and wrappers so why not carry them away again until they find somewhere appropriate to dump them.

Good god will there be nothing left unbanned in this country? This is a Kiwi way of life loved, respected and enjoyed by many many Kiwi families. If there are some people who abuse and dont do the right thing, why should we all suffer. Penalise the ones who do wrong!!!!! Not thoes of us who love it and enjoy and clean up after ourselves.

For crying out loud, I thought I lived in a free country where I could enjoy what is around me! Stop legislating for the hell of it and just get over it! Am I going be banned from tramping and hiking in our great little paradise just because I might have to dig a hole instead of using a public toilet? Whatever next? Keep the Campervans, keep the budget travellers and backpackers and who ever else is out there enjoying the place. Ban drinking on the city streets, and deal with the street racers, leave the campers alone! It's an overblown problem caused by very small minority. GET OVER IT!