Renting a Campervan in New Zealand: Our Adventure with Waka Campa

Kia ora, fellow adventurers! Today, we’re excited to share our incredible experience renting a campervan with Waka Campa while exploring the breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand. For those of you seeking freedom, stunning views, and unforgettable experiences, renting a campervan is undoubtedly the best way to go!

New Zealand is full of breathtaking landscapes and enchanting adventures. We highly recommend the freedom of van life if you’re looking for the best way to get around.

Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a campervan in New Zealand, the open road stretching ahead as you cruise along stunning coastal highways. As the days pass, the scenery changes from mountain peaks to lush valleys and back to beaches, and you enjoy it all from the comfort of your cozy home on wheels.

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Whether you’re pulling over to hike a hidden trail or finding a secluded spot for the night, the possibilities are endless. In this breathtaking landscape, every turn leads to uncharted territory filled with the promise of adventure and the thrill of discovering something new.

Why Rent a Campervan in New Zealand?

Travelling by campervan in New Zealand offers the most flexibility for hikers, nature lovers, and adventurers. If you are booking hotels and Airbnbs to stay in each night, you will need to do so in advance. If you want to stay longer in an area or adjust your plans to suit the weather, it can be tricky or costly to deal with cancellation fees and last-minute bookings.

Alternatively, you can explore at your own pace when renting a campervan. With your accommodations on wheels, you can stop whenever and wherever you want, allowing you to live fully in the moment. There are campground options for every type of traveller, which we will get into later in this blog post.

Meet Our Waka Campa Van

We chose Waka Campa for our adventure and couldn’t have been happier with our decision. They are the perfect combination of budget-friendly, reliable and compact.

The first thing that struck us was how easy the pickup process was. We hopped in a shuttle at the airport and arrived a few minutes later at the pickup location, where we were handed the keys. The check-in process was completed online, and we were on the road 10 minutes later.

Use the discount code MADETOEXPLORE3 for a 3% discount on your entire booking!

*Please note that you need cell service to call for the shuttle and complete the check-in process for this campervan in New Zealand. We think a huge improvement to this system would be to request the shuttle via WhatsApp so you could use an eSIM data plan without turning on your phone. Hopefully, they will implement that in the future!*

The vans can easily accommodate two to four people, featuring one bed on top of the driver’s and passenger seats and another bed made accessible by folding down the two rear seats.

The fully equipped kitchen added another layer of convenience to our journey. With a stovetop, fridge, and all the utensils we needed, we could whip up delicious meals on the go. This saved us money and time instead of going out for every meal.

There was a large shelf above the sink to store dry goods and a smaller cubby where we kept our hygiene items. Aside from that, we laid out all of our clothes on the top bed while sleeping on the bottom one.

The screened windows along the top of the van were perfect for cooling it off on hotter days, and there is a small space heater in case you get cold. Their vans are fully self-contained, meaning they have a toilet and can contain their own grey water and sewage. This means you can use free wild camping spots around the country. More on that later!

Use the discount code MADETOEXPLORE3 for a 3% discount on your entire booking!

Tips for Finding the Best Camping Spots

New Zealand has every type of campground imaginable, from free wild camping to holiday parks with pools, laundry and saunas. When it comes to finding the perfect camping spots, we discovered several helpful tips:

First, we turned to apps like CamperMate. This tool provided up-to-date information on camping locations, amenities, and user reviews. These resources helped us discover highly-rated campsites and avoid hidden pitfalls.

New Zealand’s National Parks are home to some stunning campsites, surrounded by breathtaking scenery and remarkable wildlife. Campsites in places like Fiordland National Park or the Mount Cook National Park allowed us to immerse ourselves in nature. Please keep in mind these can be expensive. We paid $120 NZD to stay at Milford Sound for 1 night, but it was worth it!

We also took full advantage of freedom camping options. New Zealand allows freedom camping for self-contained vehicles in designated areas, which opens up a world of possibilities. Check the CamperMate app to find a map with all these locations, and follow all the well-signed rules. There is a $300-$800 NZD fine for camping somewhere you shouldn’t in New Zealand. Don’t be that person.

Use the discount code MADETOEXPLORE3 for a 3% discount on your entire booking!

All camping spots fill up fast if you visit between December and March! Be at Freedom Camping areas by 5 pm to get a spot during their busy season and check availability online to see if you need to book holiday parks in advance.

While we freedom camped most of the time, we would splurge on a holiday park now and then when we wanted to take advantage of their showers, pools, saunas, laundry machines, and other amenities. In our experience, the Tasman Holiday Parks are the best. They typically cost an extra $5-10 per night, but you get free access to all amenities, including saunas, hot tubs, etc.

Finally, we learned the value of being open to local advice. We made it a point to ask locals about their favourite camping spots. Our insights from friendly New Zealanders led us to some hidden gems we wouldn’t have found on our own.

Pros and Cons of a Campervan in New Zealand

Like any adventure, van life comes with its own set of pros and cons. Here are the biggest ones we encountered on our 4-week trip.

Pros:

First and foremost, the flexibility that comes with renting a campervan in New Zealand is unparalleled. You can change your plans on a whim and discover off-the-beaten-path locations that many tourists miss. This autonomy allows for spontaneous adventures that can lead to unforgettable experiences, like finding an unmarked trail or a secret beach.

Another significant advantage is cost-efficiency. We could allocate our budget toward exciting activities, dining experiences, and local attractions by saving on accommodation costs. Plus, sleeping in nature means we had a front-row seat to spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

Additionally, we loved having a fridge and stove for simple meals while on the go. We only ate out once a day to save money.

Cons:

On the flip side, living in a campervan comes with its challenges. Limited space in the van can make things a bit tricky, especially when keeping your belongings organized. We often had to strategize how to maximize storage and ensure everything had its designated place.

Another factor to consider is that van life can be weather-dependent. Rainy days can make it more challenging to enjoy outdoor activities and might limit your options for camping spots.

Finally, while cooking in a van can be fun and rewarding, it requires creativity and planning. We quickly learned that simple, easy-to-prepare meals worked best for our on-the-go lifestyle.