Camping Holidays

Camping holidays in New Zealand
Camping remains a popular style of holidaying for many New Zealanders and offers a low-cost opportunity for Kiwi families, and visitors to New Zealand, to get outdoors and to appreciate the country's natural beauty. Despite the increasing growth in popularity of the 'sunshine' package holidays available on Australia's Gold Coast, camping in New Zealand can enable people to really enjoy their environment. People visiting and enjoying New Zealand's crystal-clear lakes and rivers, lush forests, dramatic mountains, gentle valleys and rolling plains is, unsurprisingly, also big business. The Ministry of Tourism estimated recently that domestic tourism is increasing in New Zealand by up to 1 to 1.5 percent a year and is estimated to have an annual worth over $7 billion.

Planning your camping trip
There are a number of different types of camping grounds in New Zealand and each tends to suit a particular style of camper. When you're working out what type of camping site and style will suit you, think about some of the following:

• How much room you have in the car for camping gear and passengers
• What noise levels you are happy with
• Whether you want to be in remote, secluded location with few people around or want a more community-minded, social camping experience
• How far you want to drive
• How much you want to spend
• How long you are going for
• Whether you need to book ahead (usually a good idea during December and January – New Zealand's Christmas and school holidays, and the most popular season of the year for camping).

Picking the right camping experience for you
If you know what to expect of your camping ground choice before you go, you won't be disappointed. There are many camping options to choose from including holiday park camping, DOC camping and free camping.

Holiday park camping - typically holiday park style camping grounds are popular with families. Whilst amenities differ between each one, you will usually find:

• Communal kitchen (many provide full cooking facilities which can really lessen the number of things you have to bring from home)
• Communal shower and toilet block (hot water, flushing toilets and showers some with baths and often, though not always, single-sex)
• Laundry (with washing machines and often dryers too)
• Communal games and / or TV rooms
• Reception and on-site staff

Holiday parks also tend to offer powered sites for caravans and motor homes and cabins. Cabins range from basic to luxury, but typically still work out to be cheaper than other holiday accommodation.

DOC camp sites
New Zealand's Department of Conservation provides over 250 campsites that are accessible by vehicle and hundreds more that are accessible by foot. DOC campsites vary enormously. Some are similar to holiday park style campgrounds with comparable facilities, but more typically, DOC camping sites are more basic and may not offer much more than a cold water tap and long-drop (outdoor) toilet. DOC campsites are often situated near lakes, rivers and mountains often in the most idyllic, remote and beautiful areas of the country. Costs vary between campsites, so check with DOC before you go.

Free camping
The advantage of free camping is that, as the term suggests, you have the freedom to roam and pitch your tent under any star that takes your particular fancy. Free camping just anywhere is not always possible due to restriction on land access and right of way. However, it is possible to free camp in certain areas of open countryside designated as national park land. Most of these free camping areas tend to be clearly signed. If in doubt as to whether you can camp in a particular area, it is best to seek advice from the locals or the local landowner before pitching your tent.

Getting the most from your camping holiday
In the words of Lord Baden Powell, when going on a camping holiday it always pays to "be prepared." Camping holidays can be undertaken in a variety of ways and each requires a different degree of planning and packing. Some campers prefer to travel light and take with them the bare essentials. At the other end of the spectrum, some campers like to feel as if their canvas home is literally their home from home and take almost everything away with them, bar the kitchen sink.

Here are just a few ideas for getting the packing for your camping holiday right first time:

What to pack for a successful camping trip

• A map and contact details for the owner of the campground
• A tent (it sounds obvious, but you may be thinking of building a bivouac), tent poles, tent pegs and groundsheet (if not built into the tent inner)
• Mallet or hammer
• Sleeping bag and pillow, sleeping mat or airbed
• Gas cooker or stove, barbecue
• Full gas cylinder (and spare gas cylinders)
• Matches (preferably in a watertight container)
• Cooking pot(s) and frying pan
• Cutlery (knife, fork and spoon set per person)
• Plate, bowl and mug (one per person)
• Tin opener, wooden spoon and spatula
• Water carrier, washing up bowl and washing up liquid
• Sponge and tea-towel
• Pegs and clothesline (very handy for drying wet gear on)
• Gear, games and books (for rainy days, as well as outdoor activities)
• Lantern, candles, torches and spare batteries
• Basic first aid kit and wash kit
• Clothes (suitable for all weather and activities)
• Food (lots of it - being in the great outdoors can really work up a healthy appetite and no Kiwi camping trip is truly complete without a bag full of marshmallows for the barbecue or fire).
• Chilly bin (to keep food and drinks cool)

Deciding where to go - Camping sites in New Zealand
There are many wonderful camping areas throughout New Zealand to choose from, all the way from Cape Reinga, in the far north of the North Island, through to Stewart Island in the deep South.

Browse the NZS.com directory for camping gear and more information about camping grounds in New Zealand.

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Family images from Flickr: Baby Boots, Kids Classroom and Hands.