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 NZ'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 cities, holiday
parks are usually a fair way from the action, but in smaller towns they can be impressively central or near lakes,
beaches, rivers and forests.
The nightly cost of camping at a holiday park is usually between $15 and $20 per adult, with children charged half
price; powered sites are a couple of dollars more. Cabins or units 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
(DOC;
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 Active North Island sec-
tion (
Click here
) for info.
New Zealand 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 com-
mercial 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 stytem). Legislation allows for $200 on-the-spot fines for camping in prohibited areas,
or for 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.
Farmstays
Farmstays open the door to the agricultural side of NZ life, with visitors encouraged to get some dirt beneath their fin-
gernails at orchards and dairy, sheep and cattle farms. Costs can vary widely, with B&Bs generally ranging from $80 to
$120. Some farms have separate cottages where you can fix your own food, while others offer low-cost, shared, back-
packer -style accommodation.
Farm Helpers in NZ
(FHINZ;
www.fhinz.co.nz
) Produces a booklet ($25) that lists around 350 NZ farms providing
lodging in exchange for four to six hours' work per day.
Rural Holidays NZ
(
www.ruralholidays.co.nz
) Lists farmstays and homestays throughout the country.
Hostels
NZ is packed to the rafters with backpacker hostels, both independent and part of large chains, ranging from small,
homestay-style affairs with a handful of beds, to refurbished hotels and towering modern structures in the big cities.
Hostel bed prices listed throughout this topic are nonmember rates, usually between $25 and $35 per night.
Hostel organisations include:
