Brits heading to New Zealand could face £1,159 fines for breaking camping rules
A country known for its laidback van-nomads is bringing in big changes that will significantly alter the way caravan holidays work.
New Zealand has long had a reputation as a haven for backpackers and a great place to hit the road and explore. In recent years the proliferation of van-lifers and digital nomads has led to tension with the country's land owning house occupants however.
Reports of motorhome dwelling tourists pulling up to beauty spots and ruining them - whether by leaving waste or being too noisy - have graced the pages of New Zealand's newspapers for years.
Fuelled by social media and word of mouth, the number of freedom campers shot up from the low tens of thousands in the early 2000s to just over 250,000 in 2019, according to New Zealand’s ministry of business, innovation and employment.
The new law was introduced in December (Getty Images)Back in 2020 then minister Stuart Nash infamously said of vanners: “They pull over to the side of the road and they s**t in our waterways, That's not who we are as a nation, it’s not part of our global brand and I don’t think it’s the sort of tourist that New Zealanders want to see in our country.”
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In a bid to fight back against such behaviour a new law has been introduced. As of December 7, 2023, only vehicles with fixed toilets have been certified as self-contained, which they have to be to be able to park up in one of New Zealand's 500 "freedom camping" spots.
Portable toilets will no longer be eligible, while higher standards for water and ventilation systems in campervans and vans are also now being enforced. Vehicles that pass the test will be issued a green warrant or sticker of self-containment.
Those caught rocking up to the designated spots without the right sticker will be found in violation of freedom camping regulations and face fines of up to NZ$2400 (£1,159).
The change is being phased in over the next 16 months, so if you’re planning on renting or buying a van or motorhome to travel through New Zealand you may not be impacted. Most people travelling before June this year are unlikely to be affected.
Baastian Van Druten is a man who has made the most of the freedom camping spots, but fears that the new law will push out those without much money from the pursuit. He also believes freedom campers are not being properly appreciated as a source of tourist dollars.
Baastian told the Guardian: “It’s going to limit the kind of tourists that are still able to travel around New Zealand. Because you know, the bigger campers they’re just way too expensive.
“It might be less money, but it’s more spread out,” he says “Because from my experience, tiny little towns usually have a dairy or a fuel station or the fish and chip shop – or maybe even a little gallery. That’s where the van-lifers end up.”
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