The Best Campgrounds & Holiday Parks in New Zealand

If you are ready to embark on a trip around New Zealand, exploring by campervan is an amazing way to see the very best of the country. There’s no better way of immersing yourself in New Zealand’s incredible outdoors and nature than staying in some of the hundreds of incredible campgrounds the country has to offer. Many of these campgrounds can be found right at the foot of a famous landmark, or within a stunning national park under the starriest skies you’ve ever seen.

When it comes to choosing where to stay, your options are plentiful – so plentiful in fact, that it can become hard to choose! We have done the hard work for you and narrowed it down to some of our favourites. Here are a few of the very best campgrounds in New Zealand – whether you are exploring the North Island, the South Island, the popular cities of Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown.

Best Campgrounds in the North Island

Boasting beautiful untouched landscapes, ancient forests, and a diverse range of natural ecosystems; it’s no wonder North Island is on so many people’s bucket lists. If you’re making your way across the island, you’ll need somewhere to stay for a few nights.

We’ve combed through the good and bad to narrow down only the very best places to stay. This is your new go-to list for the best New Zealand’s North Island campsites:

• Matauri Bay Holiday Park
• Urupukapuka Bay Campsite
• Matai Bay Campsite
• Opoutere Coastal Camping
• Camp Waipu Cove

Learn more about these 5 best North Island Campgrounds, including the amenities they offer and how you can book.

Best Campgrounds in the South Island

When you think about New Zealand’s South Island, there’s no doubt that stunning mountains, starry skies, and spectacular fjords are what come to mind. The South Island is a nature lover’s paradise – and that’s why camping or travelling in a campervan is the perfect way to explore the stunning outdoors here.

There is certainly no shortage of fantastic campgrounds on the South Island – almost so many it can be difficult to choose. We have narrowed it down for you, to five of the very best campgrounds listed below:

• Christchurch TOP 10 Holiday Park
• Lake Pukaki Freedom Camping
• Purakaunui Bay Campsite
• Queenstown Holiday Park & Motels Creeksyde
• Orange Sheep Campervan Park (Franz Josef)

Learn more about these 5 Best Campgrounds in the South Island and reserve your site today.

Best Campgrounds in Christchurch

The holiday parks in Christchurch cater to all forms of travellers with a generous mix of powered sites to plug up your campervan, along with campsites and hostels for those wanting some variety. Combine this with the perfect mix of hot summer days and sultry nights, you’ll be dashing off to Christchurch’s best camping spots in no time. Here are 7 of our favourite campgrounds in Christchurch:

• Christchurch TOP 10 Holiday Park
• North South Holiday Park
• Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite
• Spencer Beach Kiwi Holiday Park
• Amber Kiwi Holiday Park
• Woodend Beach Holiday Park
• Rangiora Leigh Holiday Park

Want to weigh up your options and decide which campground will suit you best? Before you book make sure to check out our offers on campervan hire in Christchurch.

Best Campgrounds in Auckland

Auckland is a beautiful coastal city on New Zealand’s North Island. While the city itself is great and worth spending time in — it’s worth spending just as much time checking out the surrounding areas.

Auckland is surrounded by national parks, conservation areas, coastal town and mountain ranges, so if you want to explore these areas, one of the best options you have is to spend a few days staying in local campgrounds and exploring. We have tried and tested many campgrounds in Auckland, and here are 7 of the best:

• Tāpapakanga Regional Park
• Schischka campground, Wenderholm Regional Park
• Tāwharanui Regional Park
• Takapuna Beach Holiday Park
• Waiheke Island
• Whangateau Holiday Park
• Piha Domain Motor Camp

Want to know more about these campgrounds? We have a lot more information on the 7 Best Campgrounds in Auckland: including what amenities they have and how you can book them. We also recommend you check out our deals on campervan hire in Auckland.

Best Campgrounds in Queenstown

Being New Zealand’s adventure capital with a dose of fantastic nightlife and dining options, it’s no wonder Queenstown is a backpacker’s hotspot.

If you’re planning to visit this amazing location– choosing accommodation that offers the best value-for-money in an optimal spot can often seem difficult. No worries though, that’s why we’re here!

Let’s unearth Queenstown’s top 7 camping grounds for 2020, and explore the best facilities and activities along the way:

• Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park
• Mrs Woolly’s Campground
• Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park
• Cameron Flat Campsite
• Pleasant Flat Campsite
• More Lake Campsite
• Arrowtown Holiday Park

Learn more about Queenstown’s 7 Best Campgrounds including where to find them, what amenities they provide, and how you can book your site today.

Freedom Campgrounds in New Zealand

Do you like the sounds of the above campgrounds, but your budget limits you to stay at the more affordable or free campgrounds? Well, New Zealand will not disappoint you in this way, with the choice of ‘freedom camping’ a viable option across both islands. Freedom camping literally means camping for free – so you can go right ahead and do that in many locations, as long as you are aware of the rules of how to do it and where it’s possible.

We have a lot of helpful information on where to find some of the best free campsites and the rules around staying at them. Learn more about freedom camping in the North Island or freedom camping in the South Island before you set out on your adventure.

How to find more campgrounds

There’s always a slight panic when you’re taking a camping trip that you may not be able to find somewhere suitable to settle down for the night. With CamperMate, you can let go of that worry. With a bank of thousands of campsites throughout New Zealand, it will recommend and guide you to a safe resting place with clear directions. It also features offline maps, so even if you lose service on the road, you won’t get lost.

As well as being able to get you to safe camping grounds, CamperMate will point out useful amenities along the road, including rest areas, public toilets, garages, shops, and more.

All of this goes to prove that it’s a super useful app for any camper. But it also has some other amazing features. One of our favourite CamperMate features is the activity-search function, which allows you to look for fun things to do by region. You can even book tours and experiences directly through the app, and some even offer discounts for using CamperMate.

You can save your favourite destinations and activities to a “favourites” list as well, making it easy to find them and cutting out the need to search for them all over again.

Are you ready to start exploring? Travellers Autobarn has plenty of 2-5 berth self-contained campervans available out of Christchurch and Auckland. Get a quote on a campervan and begin your adventure!

Learn more about New Zealand’s best campgrounds so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring this beautiful country!