New Zealand Campervan Road Trip Planner.

Planning your trip to New Zealand.

Plan your trip to see the most popular sites in New Zealand and you will stumble across those less known places too, on the way.

New Zealand is so diverse, from fjiords and glaciers on the South Island to fern forests and giant kauri trees in the north.

You are never far from a beach or a lake. Make it a priority to visit these lakes. There are plenty more to choose from but these are a must:

Lake Taupo and Lake Rotorua in the North Island
Lake Matheson, Lake Tekapo and Lake Wakatipu in the South Island.

NZ Special Offers NZ Rental Vehicles NZ Campsites NZ Tourist Board

Plan your trip before you go.

Touring New Zealand in a campervan is one of the best ways to see this campervan-friendly country.

Step 1. When will you visit NZ?

New Zealand is a sub-tropical island with four seasons. Travel during the summer months for warm and sunny weather. If you are planning a road trip you may want to make sure that your camper van has air-conditioning as the summers in the North island can be hot and humid.

Winter travel will ensure you see snow on the mountains and frosty mornings in the South Island. Your campervan will be warm as all of the campers are equipped with heaters.

Travelling during Spring offers pleasant driving conditions where the North island will be warmer than the South so start your journey from Auckland and return to Christchurch.

Autumn brings pleasant temperatures in both islands. If you plan to see both then travel from the South island to the North island.

Step 2. What will you want to see?

New Zealand is famous for its spectacular scenery and also its accessibility to many extreme sports from bungy jumping to paragliding and from jet-boat rides to whale-watching.

When planning your trip try and add a bit of both in your itinerary.

If you want to see the highlights of both the North and South Islands then we have two top tips:

Plan a one-way rental from South to North or North to South depending on the time of year. It cools down quicker in the South island so if you are starting at the end of summer then plan your road trip from Christchurch to Auckland.
Allow about five to six weeks for your campervan holiday. There are very few motorways in New Zealand and you will travel slower than you would in a car and you will often be distracted and want to stay longer in many places.

Plan your road trip in New Zealand using these helpful websites:

We recommend the road trip planner on the New Zealand Tourism site.

It has many options available and a really useful distance calculator. Distance calculator New Zealand.

Make sure you don't plan too much each day as there will be adventures around every corner and you may want to stay longer in some places and just leave a little earlier than planned from others.

For first time visitors check out these road trips on the New Zealand Official Tourism Website: New Zealand Roadtrips

Once you are on the road in New Zealand with a rough plan, add other destinations as you travel.

Touring Tips & Itineraries

Try and mix the experiences you choose to do in New Zealand

New Zealand offers many unique experiences that are not so accessible in other countries. We recommend that during your stay you have a go at some of the following activities:

Kayak the Milford Sounds or the Abel Tasman
Take a scenic flight either by plane or helicopter to Mt Cook or a glacier.
Join a whale watching trip in Kaikoura - one of the most accessible places to do this.
Join an organised tour of Ninety Mile Beach to Cape Reinga or a trip down Skippers Canyon. Both are inaccessible by campervan.
Try the local fish, wine and craft beers.
Dive into the hot pools at Rotorua or one of the other hot pools around the country.
Try a bungy jump in Queenstown or a controlled jump from Sky Tower - the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.
Visit one of the few land based Albatross Colonies in New Zealand.
Pan for Gold in Arrowtown
Try white-water rafting in Taupo, Queenstown or anywhere that there's a big river...everywhere!

Start your tour in the North Island, and don't miss these highlights:

The North Island of New Zealand top highlights are Auckland for its many volcanoes (dormant!) and its waterfront, harbour and Rangitoto.

North of Auckland will send you through vineyards, fern forests, giant kauri trees, the Bay of Islands, 90 mile beach and the black sands of the west coast.

There are vineyards, cafes, small towns and villages and magnificent beaches to visit north of Auckland. Stop and buy local fruit from the side of the road.

Head south of Auckland

As a general guide the places not to miss south of Auckland on your way to New Zealand's capital city of Wellington are:

The Glowworm Caves at Waitomo - a unique experience.
Lake Taupo - for trout fishing. This huge lake is a magnet for tourists and visitors alike for its spectacular scenery, great walks, the Huka Falls and cruises on the lake. Lake Taupo is a geothermal area and a visit to the Craters of the Moon is a must.
Lake Rotorua - a geothermal paradise with lots of bubbling mud, geysers and thermal pools. Also a good place to learn about Maori culture. Visit the Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. Plenty of adrenalin sports here too including the luge, skydiving and a zipline.
Travel to the East and be the first to see the sunrise from Gisborne.
Coromandel offers an alternative lifestyle and remote sandy beaches. Travel south through Tauranga, Whakatane and go to Tolaga Bay.
The west coast of the North Island is home to Mt Taranaki and the Whanganui national park.
Don't miss out on the Art Deco capital of New Zealand and visit Napier.
Visit New Zealand's capital city Wellington and TePapa New Zealand's National Museum. Wellington also has the most unusual Houses of Parliament. Plenty to see for a couple of days.

Ferry crossing between the North and South Island

You will need to take your campervan on the ferry if you want to travel between the North and South Islands in New Zealand. You are not able to leave the camper on one side and get a different one on the other island. Some car rental companies have offered this option in the past.

You will need to pre-book your ferry crossing during peak season - December, January, February and into March. You will have to pay for the campervan, and all passengers. So it makes sense to only do one crossing and plan a one-way rental. Visit the i-centres to prebook, or book online before you go. It's worth booking ahead as if you don't you join the queue and it can be very long. Two ferry companies offer crossings. The Bluebridge and The Interislander. They operate between Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South Island.

Touring the South Island of New Zealand in a campervan.

Start your tour of the South Island from Picton. If you turn right along Queen Charlotte Drive - it is a little difficult to spot this road and it is a very windy road but the views are worth it. You can head to Havelock and try the local mussels and carry on to the West Coast via Nelson with a side trip to the Abel Tasman national park and Golden Bay.

Travelling towards Westport and heading south to the Punakaiki rocks is a must. Keep following this rugged coast south to the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.

Top sites to see in the South Island of New Zealand:

Don't miss the Southern Lakes - Lake Tekapo, Lake Coleridge, Hawea, Pukaki and Ohau. Further south visit Lake Wakatipu and Wanaka.In Fjiordland you can cross Lake Te Anau. Don't miss Lake Manapouri too.
The Southern Alps. Drive to Mount Cook. Take a flight over the top.
Take a couple of trips to see the whales and dolphins at Kaikoura
See the penguins!
Visit Milford Sounds and take a small boat trip.
Walk on a Glacier
Sit on a Moeraki Boulder
Dunedin - New Zealand's Scottish influenced city. Find the castle and the Albatross colony.
Stewart Island - unspoilt and wild.
Queenstown all year round for adrenalin rides and everything else spectacular!
Christchurch a must for shopping. See how they have rebuilt since the earthquake.
Drive through Haast Pass, Arthurs Pass (a great train trip to and from Christchurch), Lewis Pass, Lindis Pass. All offer great drives through the mountains.
Visit some of the world class vineyards around Blenheim and the rest of the South Island famous for its Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir - and the rest!
Bluff Oysters - truly wonderful

Middle Earth and Tolkein and Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson filmed the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Hobbit in New Zealand and you can visit some of these sites. The New Zealand Tourist Board has links to organised tours and a list of where filming took place. Lord of the Rings Film locations and organised tours.

Pete's Dragon also filmed in New Zealand

See how Pete's Dragon sees New Zealand in this YouTube video Pete's Dragon view of New Zealand

Tourist Boards

New Zealand's regional Tourist Boards have a wealth of useful knowledge and advice.

All towns and small towns in New Zealand have i-centres to give advice on what to see and do in the area and where to stay. They can book campsites and advise on where to camp. A really useful resource.

New Zealand has a network of regional tourist boards who have extensive information about each region and provide really helpful advice on what to see and do when you want to get off the beaten track:

North Island Regional Tourist Boards

Auckland	Bay of Plenty
Coromandel	Gisborne
Hawkes Bay	Manawatu
Northland	Rotorua
Ruapehu	Taranaki
Taupo	Waikato
Wairarapa	Wellington
Whanganui

South Island Regional Tourist Boards:

Aoraki	Canterbury
Clutha	Dunedin
Fiordland	Hurunui
Kaikoura	Mackenzie
Marlborough	Nelson Tasman
Otago	Queenstown
Southland	West Coast
Waitaki	Wanaka

Information centres throughout New Zealand.

There are i-visitor centres throughout New Zealand and even small towns have them. You can contact each one directly before you arrive in New Zealand to help you plan your stay.

Stop in here for friendly advice on what to do and see and where to park up. Visitor Information Centres, New Zealand.

You can also contact them ahead of time to help you find out more about your destination. The interactive map gives you full details. New Zealand interactive map.

Camping in New Zealand

Camp sites for campervans in New Zealand

New Zealand has top quality campsites for campervans and motorhomes. The choice between and booking ahead is often difficult as the freedom that campervan rental offers is that you never know when you are going to be where you say you're going to be.

Best advice for booking ahead is if you are planning to be at a popular visitor spot during peak season. Peak season is between December and the end of March. So, if you want to book a site close to the centre of Rotorua then book ahead and then if you are going to arrive earlier or later than planned then call ahead. We find campsite owners are very flexible and will do their best to accommodate you.

Top 10 and Kiwiholidays campsites in New Zealand

Top 10 and Kiwiholidays campsites are found in all the major tourist areas in New Zealand. You are guaranteed top quality sites and facilities. These campsites are a bit more expensive than some of the independent campsites but if you are looking for top locations then Top 10 and Kiwiholidays offer great sites.

Independent campsites in New Zealand

The standard of independent campsites in New Zealand is very high and they are used to looking after international tourists and locals alike. Very friendly and helpful too. Book campsites and ferry crossings through the i-sites

DOC sites. The Department of Conservation campsites

This is a must - spending a few nights at a DoC site. These are all in national parks and what they may not offer in facilities they do offer special locations. DoC Campsite booking page

We have chosen some useful sites for you to use to help plan your New Zealand road trip:

Free-camping in New Zealand in a campervan.

Ask about freedom camping in the area. It is a must if you haven't experienced it before. You must have full facilities on board and your vehicle must have the self-contained warrant must be displayed. There is a fine if it isn't.

Free camping - boondocking or wild camping - in New Zealand

If you have rented a fully self contained campervan for your road trip around New Zealand then you must do some free camping. It is legal in some places but best to check with locals or other campers before you try it out.

Free Camping, or wild camping in New Zealand is permitted in some areas if you have a fully self contained campervan or motorhome.
You are not allowed to free camp if you are in a sleeper car or hi-top, low-top campers that don’t have onboard facilities.
This is because the impact on the local environment has been too great. Local people are finding debris that has been left behind after a camper has stayed the night and are quite rightly not happy about this.
We do say that if you are free camping you should only stay for one or two nights. Also, if there is already someone camping close by, let them have space and don't roll up right next to them.

Join a Camping and Caravanning Club

Before you leave research any of the following camping and caravanning clubs in New Zealand to get discounts on campsites, expert knowledge and free advice:

Check out Social Media Groups and Forums for more information and discounts about campsites and top sites to see.

Outdoor Activities

Walking and hiking in New Zealand

Take advantage of your campervan and camp at the start and end of some of the greatest walks in the world.

Walk the Milford Track - booking essential. Try the Tongariro crossing - a good day's walk and spectacular.

Walking in New Zealand

Top walks in New Zealand are:

Tongariro Crossing
The Routeburn
Milford Track
Mount Ruapehu Walk to the crater.
Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony
Mount Aspiring
Lake Waikaremoana
Abel Tasman
Heaphy Track
Kepler Track
Rakiura Track

New Zealand cycle trails

New Zealand has the most extensive cycle trail network and we offer campervan hire with bike racks so that you can do as much or as little as you want. There are over 2,500kms of cycle trails available.

Safe cycling is on the trails will take you to see the remote areas of New Zealand not accessible by road. These two websites provide excellent detail to help you plan your cycling trips:

New Zealand Cycle Trails and New Zealand Bike Map

The cost of renting a bike rack is around NZ$12.00 per day and usually are capped at NZ$50.00 for the duration of the hire.

These companies rent out bikes and bike racks:

Abuzzy campers: bike rack and up to 3 bikes.
Ace: bike racks only.
Britz offer bikes and bike racks
Spaceships: bike rack only
Escape Campers: bike rack only
Maui: bikes and bike rack
Pacific Horizon: bike rack only
RV Rentals: bike rack only

Make sure you add the bike rack to your rental before you collect your campervan.

Taking your own bike is one option but there are several bike rental companies in New Zealand. We found these three after a quick search on Google:

Natural High Bike Rental, Switchback Travel and Epicentre Cycling

Electric bike hire

Electric bike rental is an option but please specify if this type of bike is going to be used as the bike racks supplied may not be suitable.

Always keep your bike on the bike rack or in the garage in the campervan. Keeping a bicycle inside the campervan while travelling can cause costly damage.

Skiing in New Zealand and the advantages of taking a campervan

There are three areas in New Zealand that offer top skiing. There are also campervan depots not too far from any of these.

Queenstown has a depot right at the airport. Fly directly into Queenstown, pick up a camper and head to the snow at Cardrona. There are many campsites to choose from and you can drive the camper to the mountain and have all your gear ready to change into and go. There's plenty of room to keep your skiis in the garage and a hot shower awaits you when you have finished your day on the snow. Check out the ski conditions at Cardrona

Christchurch is the nearest campervan rental depot to Mount Hutt. It only takes just over and hour to drive from here to the snow. Check out the ski conditions at Mt Hutt. Mt Hutt Ski Conditions.Great skiing and snowboarding and plenty of options for campervans and motorhomes.

Auckland is the closest depot to Mt Ruapehu and the beset skiing in the North Island of New Zealand. Check out the conditions on the Mt Ruapehu before you leave town. Ski conditions on Mt Ruapehu - Whakapapa

Our top tips and links

Useful tips and links to help you plan your road trip around New Zealand

Top tips for a road trip around New Zealand:

Road rules: Most road rules in New Zealand for motorhomes are similar to those for cars. But though the rural speed limit is 100km per hour, if you are travelling in a motorhome with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GMV) of more than 3500kg, this speed limit is reduced to 90km per hour.

Insurance: Make sure you have insurance to cover your trip. Most motorhome rental outlets will offer some form of accident liability cover when you hire the vehicle, though it pays to shop around. Some will offer roadside assistance.

Dump stations: Only dispose of your waste water in designated dump stations. These are usually located at camping grounds, holiday parks, or on the outskirts of a town or city. You can find maps of the dump stations located around the country on websites such as AA Traveller: List of Public Dump Stations in New Zealand.. Check out campermate.co.nz for useful cameprvan and motorhome information.

Freedom camping: There are around 340 "free" campsites around New Zealand that are designated by local councils and the Department of Conservation. Tap into Freedom camping in New Zealand on Doc Sites. It's important to stick only to marked campsites, as it is illegal to camp on privately owned property without permission from the owner. Freedom camping in a restricted area can result in a hefty $200 fine.

Safety: To make sure you and your passengers are as safe as possible in your portable hotel, check it complies with road rules. Seatbelts must be fitted in motorhomes manufactured on or after October 1, 2003. If your camper is a "vintage" model, pad sharp edges and objects that could fall or move. The number of safety belts in newer campervans must also match the number of berths.nzta.govt.nz lists the requirements your motorhome must meet.

Motorhome sites: If you've done your dash with freedom camping and are looking for something a little more upmarket, try holidayparks.co.nz.

Rest: There are rest stops dotted along most open roads in New Zealand, and it's important to use them if even slightly fatigued. If you're niftier with technology, use a time and distance calculator to estimate how long your trip will take before you leave.

Driving in NZ can take longer than expected because of winding roads or weather conditions. newzealand.com has a useful map for planning siestas ahead of time. There is also a very useful distance calculator.

New Zealander's drive on the left

Eftpos is a direct debit to your bank account. Keep a credit card handy as this service doesn't usually work with overseas bank accounts.

Train crossings are sign-posted but often don't have barriers or lights so check well before driving across them.

Department of Conservation Campsites
Holiday Parks
Public Dump Stations
Visitor Information i-SITEs
Offical NZ Camping Map
New Zealand's Freedom Camping Act
Litter Law New Zealand
Freedom Camping in New Zealand
Information Centres New Zealand
nzmca travel directory list of sites.
nzmca-parks
NCMCA Private Property overnight parking scheme.
New Zealand Motorcaravan Association Membership website

Rankers - a quick word

Rankers is an independent review service run by New Zealanders wanting to see reviews of campsites across the country. These are independent and unbiased and worth a look before you book. The campsites featured on Rankers are independent and non-commercial or on a paid plan. They offer a useful app too.

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Plan Your New Zealand Campervan Trip

Road Trip - Step by step guide.