Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
»
Bed & Breakfast Book
(
www.bnb.co.nz
)
»
Bed and Breakfast Directory
(
www.bed-and-breakfast.co.nz
)
Camping & Holiday Parks
Campers and campervan drivers alike converge upon the South Island's hugely popular 'holiday parks', slumbering
peacefully in powered and unpowered sites, cheap bunk rooms (dorm rooms), cabins, and self-contained units (often
called motels or tourist flats). Well-equipped communal kitchens, dining areas, and games and TV rooms often feature.
In Christchurch and Dunedin, holiday parks are can be a fair way from the action, but in smaller South Island towns
they can be impressively central or near lakes, beaches, rivers and forests.
The nightly cost of holiday-park camping is usually between $15 and $20 per adult, with children charged half price;
powered sites are a couple of dollars more. Cabin/unit accommodation normally ranges from $70 to $120 per double.
Unless noted otherwise, the prices we've listed for campsites, campervan sites, huts and cabins are for two people.
DOC CAMPSITES & FREEDOM CAMPING
A fantastic option for those in campervans is the 250-plus vehicle-accessible 'Conservation Campsites' run by the
De-
partment of Conservation
(
www.doc.govt.nz
), with fees ranging from free (basic toilets and fresh water) to $15 per
adult (flush toilets and showers). DOC publishes free brochures with detailed descriptions and instructions to find every
campsite (even GPS coordinates). Pick up copies from DOC offices before you hit the road, or visit the website.
DOC also looks after hundreds of 'Backcountry Huts' and 'Backcountry Campsites' which can only be reached on
foot. See the website for details. 'Great Walk' huts and campsites are also managed by DOC; see the Hiking in New
Zealand chapter (
Click here
)
for info.
The South Island is so photogenic, it's tempting to just pull off the road at a gorgeous viewpoint and camp the night.
But never just assume it's OK to camp somewhere: always ask a local or check with the local i-SITE, DOC office or
commercial campground. If you are freedom camping, treat the area with respect. Note that if your chosen campsite
doesn't have toilet facilities and neither does your campervan, it's illegal for you to sleep there (your campervan must
also have an on-board grey-water storage system). Legislation allows for $200 on-the-spot fines for camping in prohib-
ited areas, or improper disposal of waste (in cases where dumping waste could damage the environment, fines are up to
$10,000). See
www.camping.org.nz
for more freedom-camping tips.
WWOOFING
If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, an economical way of travelling around New Zealand involves doing
some voluntary work as a member of the international
Willing Workers on Organic Farms
(WWOOF;
03-544 9890;
www.wwoof.co.nz
)
scheme. Down on the farm, in exchange for a hard day's work, owners provide
food, accommodation and some hands-on organic farming experience. Contact farm owners a week or two be-
forehand to arrange your stay, as you would for a hotel or hostel - don't turn up unannounced!
A one-year online membership costs $40; an online membership and a farm-listing book, which is mailed to
you, costs an extra $10 plus postage. You should have a Working Holiday Visa when you visit NZ, as the immig-
ration department considers WWOOFers to be working.
Farmstays
Farmstays open the door to the agricultural side of South Island life, with visitors encouraged to get some dirt beneath
their fingernails at orchards, and dairy, sheep and cattle farms. Costs can vary widely, with B&Bs generally ranging
