🇳🇿 New Zealand — OpenVan.camp

Christchurch City Council has begun trialling a number plate recognition system to check whether freedom campers on council land are certified self-contained. Vehicle plates are automatically recorded and matched against an online database of certified motorhomes and campervans. Non-certified vehicles breaching the Freedom Camping Bylaw face infringement fines of up to $800. The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association welcomed the trial and is introducing similar camera checks at its more than 65 private campsites, at a cost of over $1 million.

Tourism Holdings has received revised non-binding proposals from the BGH Capital-led consortium and Indie Campers after due diligence largely concluded. The board is not recommending either bid and has not disclosed prices. BGH offered $3.10 a share in May, valuing THL at about $686 million, while Indie Campers proposed $3.30 to $3.40 in June, up to $752 million. BGH already holds about 19.9% of THL. The company reported a statutory net profit of $39.9 million for FY26, compared with a $14.1 million loss a year earlier.

Residents near Beacon Point Road in Wānaka say visitors are defecating in the bushes, doing laundry in the lake and dumping rubbish. Only three overnight spots are designated there.

Several vehicles and a caravan crashed on State Highway 7 south of Hanmer Springs. Police received reports of the incident at about 2.10pm. Emergency services are at the scene and minor injuries have been reported. The highway is blocked.

A caravan fire on Auckland's Southwestern Motorway has closed a lane and is causing delays. Police were called at about 7.30am and were waiting for the remains of the caravan to be removed. Hato Hone St John said no one was injured in the fire.

About 40 members of the public attended a hearing on Tuesday for three freedom camping locations in Wānaka. Residents called for a ban amid problems linked to freedom camping. The hearing concerned the three specific sites.

Queenstown's council has agreed to lease public reserve land to a holiday park operator for five years. The 8250 sq m recreation reserve at the foot of Ben Lomond Reserve, bordering Queenstown Cemetery and the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park, will be leased to Australian-owned Hampshire Holiday Parks from 1 January next year. Councillors approved the lease unanimously at a community and environment committee meeting on Tuesday. Parks property planner Matthew Judd told them Hampshire requested the lease because campsites for tents, caravans and camper vans were in very high demand in central Queenstown throughout the year. The lease would provide extra camping capacity and generate income for the council.

New Zealand's motorhome market is stabilising after a boom-bust cycle during COVID-19. TrailLite joint managing director Shaun Newman says the buyer base is widening beyond baby boomers, with more Generation X customers. He said motorhomes and caravans offer families a cheaper and more versatile holiday than a second home.

The Hanmer Springs Community Board voted on Monday to repair the freedom camping area at Hanmer River Reserve, which was destroyed by flooding on July 7. The board agreed to fund its $15,000 share of the $35,000 remediation from its weather contingency fund, while Environment Canterbury requires a cost-sharing arrangement because the river is not part of a rating district. Replacing the toilets is estimated at $148,000, but with a $100,000 insurance excess only $48,000 is initially available. A reopening date has not been set.

Christchurch City Council is launching a six-month trial of automatic number plate scanning for freedom campers, starting Thursday, 22 October. Plates will be checked against an online database to verify self-containment certification. Non-certified vehicles breaching the bylaw will receive infringement notices. The trial aims to improve compliance and assess camper volumes and issue locations.

A nine-day campervan trip from Christchurch to Queenstown in early October cost approximately NZD 1,320–1,400 (about NZD 150 per day), with transport accounting for roughly half: campervan rental NZD 100, fuel NZD 370, insurance NZD 168 and diesel road user charges NZD 60. Accommodation in campsites was NZD 280–360 for four nights (around NZD 90 with power, NZD 70–80 without), while backpacker hostels cost about NZD 35 per night. Food, including groceries and one restaurant meal, totalled NZD 188. The return leg used a free rental car. Reported drawbacks included mandatory paid campsites, self-contained waste disposal and extra charges for gas use.

Indonesian celebrity Dara Arafah and her husband are touring New Zealand in a campervan, their first such trip since marrying. They are driving through several regions, including Queenstown, and stopping at lakes and forests. New Zealand is currently in spring; her husband drives while Arafah accompanies him.

A Banks Peninsula camping community claims the Christchurch City Council disregarded 87% of submitters when deciding to end permanent sites at Duvauchelle Holiday Park. Of 188 submissions, 164 backed keeping existing arrangements, while only 10 supported the operational changes the council pursued. Existing annual site holders can stay until they give up their sites or until 23 September 2036; future sites will be allocated by public ballot for three-year terms.

New Zealand company Vanlifer has presented the Scout, a compact electric camper concept based on a three-wheeled electric bicycle. The project is designed for two people and has a claimed range of about 300 kilometers on a single charge. Inside, seats fold into a double bed, with pull-out compartments on the sides and under the floor for kitchen equipment. Solar panels can be mounted on the roof. The Scout remains a design study, with no confirmation of series production.

One person was seriously injured and another received minor injuries when a campervan was blown onto its side on State Highway 50 near Tikokino Rd in Hawke's Bay at about 2:45 pm on Sunday. The road was blocked in both directions and the serious crash unit was called as firefighters freed two trapped people; the road reopened around 6:30 pm. Minutes earlier, a truck's trailer was blown over on State Highway 2 near Takapau, blocking both lanes; a crane was requested. Firefighters also responded to at least six other wind-related incidents in Central Hawke's Bay, including three burnoffs spreading and several trees down.

TrailLite has unveiled the Roadcraft motorhome at the NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show in Hamilton. Prices start from 231,000 dollars, with eight units sold before the premiere.

A collision between a campervan and a car on SH8 in Central Otago has closed the road. One person is in critical condition, another seriously injured.

Anastasia and Hayden Tristram left their leased farm in Central Hawke's Bay after it was sold. With their two daughters, they moved into a caravan and continue to take on work across the country. They say they have had to turn down more work than they have been able to accept.

Australian caravan manufacturer Crusader Caravans has added Christchurch-based CMG Campers as a South Island dealer, complementing its North Island partnership with Hamilton-based ALM Group.

The NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show will take place from September 18-20 at Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand. More than 230 exhibitors will be spread across two indoor pavilions, two accessory marquees and an expanded outdoor area. Visitors can compare the latest motorhomes and caravans, discover accessories and talk to industry experts. TrailLite's new ROADCRAFT motorhome range will make its public debut. A Doggy Daycare zone will be available for the first time. A Forthing Taikon PHEV SUV valued at $39,990 plus on-road costs will be given away. Gates open 9am-5pm on the first two days and 9am-4pm on the final day.