Roadtripping New Zealand - The Best Tips
CAMPERVAN
Depending on how long you're planning on staying in New Zealand it might be better to buy a van instead of renting one. Renting is expensive but sometimes the only option if you're just coming to visit for a few weeks and don't have the time to look for one and resell it.
But if you're coming on a Working Holiday Visa, planning to stay for months, buying one is the way better option.
For Those Wanting to Buy a Van
SELF-CONTAINED OR NON SELF-CONTAINED?
If you're planning on staying a lot at free camps, I highly recommend to get a self-contained campervan as a lot of the free camps don't allow non self-contained vans.
If you're planning on staying at paid campgrounds, it doesn't really matter if you're self-contained or not.
DIESEL OR PETROL?
Pricewise it doesn't really make a difference although people might tell you otherwise as one liter of Diesel is cheaper than petrol. But most don't consider the extra expenses you have.
Diesel
If you have a diesel you will need to pay RUC (Road User Charges) which is a tax for maintaining the road network. You can pay this at a post office and can choose for how many kms you want to pay.
Petrol
In the case of petrol, you don't have to pay RUC, as this tax is already included in the petrol price. This is why the liter is more expensive.
REGO
For both diesel and petrol you will have to pay the REGO. This is a vehicle licence that you have to display on the vehicle (as well as the RUC). The Rego can also be paid at the post office and you can choose the amount of time you want it to be valid for.
WOF
Every vehicle needs to have a valid WOF (Warrant of fitness) which is a check to make sure your vehicle meets required safety standards. Depending on the first registration of your vehicle you have to get WOF either every 6 months or once a year.
Vehicles registered before 1 January 2000: valid for 6 months
Vehicles registered on or after 1 January 2000: valid for 12 months
Where to Buy a Van
Usually backpackers try to sell their vans and cars way over the price they're usually worth but there's not much you can do it about it apart from negotiating the price which you should always do.
FACEBOOK/TRADEME
Best options for finding van offers is to look for them in Facebook groups or Marketplace. Trademe could be an option too.
HOSTELS
Backpackers also advertise their vans in hostels. There are usually boards where you can hang up your offer.
CAR TRADERS
I do not recommend buying from a car trader place as I've heard so many bad stories from other backpackers where cars had seemed to be in a good state and then after a few weeks broke down, were moldy inside and they lost a lot of money.
PRE PURCHASE CHECK
If you don't know much about cars, I highly recommend having the van checked at the mechanics before buying it. The mechanics usually offer a pre-purchase check that you can book to make sure it's a good car.
Where to Rent a Van
These are some of the most popular places to rent campervans:
Check if You have a Fine
If you were speeding or just want to check in general if you got any fine on your registered vehicle, this is where you can find out.
Pay a Toll
If you've been using a toll road you will need to pay for it within 5 days. You can easily do this online over the following link by putting in your number plate.
TYPES OF CAMPSITES
To find campspots there are two/three main apps.
Campermate which is for free, Wikicamps which is available for a small fee and Rankers which is also for free.They not only show you the location of the campsites but also the facilites they include.
More about these apps, further down at the APP section.
Freedom Camping
The freedom camping spots are a great way to save money on accommodation. They are completey free of charge and usually have a public bathroom close by. There are awesome spots right at the beach with unbeatable views but also some in the middle of nowhere. Me personally, I stayed at free camps as often as possible and never had a bad experience.
There are just a certain number of spots available at each place (and some just have as little as 2 or 3 spots) so make sure to arrive in time to be able to stay overnight.
DOC Campsites
The DOC (Department of Conservation) Camps cost usually between 8-15 dollars.
If you're planning on using them a lot, it might make sense to get a DOC Campsite Pass. There is the option of a 30-night pass or a 1 year pass. Most of the DOC campsites throughout NZ are included in the pass, however there are some that are not.
Paid Campgrounds
There are paid campgrounds throught all of NZ and this is the most expensive option but they provide all the facilites you need. Prices vary between the campgrounds. One of the best equipped and most popular ones are the "TOP 10" campings.
APPS
Campermate
My number one camping app. A free app for finding campsites of every type. It displays also where you can take showers, where to get freshwater and disposal of grey water, where to find wifi, things to do and some places to eat.
Wikicamps
Like Campermate but available for a small fee. There's some different campsites on here too. I liked using Campermate much better though.
Rankers
Also free but in general not as many campsites on it as on the other two. I used it to compare free camp locations and I think I did find some extra ones a few times.
Gaspy
An app for comparing fuel prices. It shows you the cheapest options near you.
RefillNZ
Showcasing you places like restaurants and cafés that allow you to refill your water as well as refill stations and public drinking fountains.
Maps.me
Amazing option because it works offline. What I also love about it is that when it comes to hikes or walking tracks, it is all displayed in contrast to google maps where I can most of the times not even find the track.
Foodprint
This app helps reduce food waste. Restaurants/Cafés can offer their unsold food before closing time at a discounted price. It's a great way to help reduce the amount of food that will be thrown out and save money at the same time. Lots of places in Auckland but slowly starting to expand in NZ.
FALLING FRUIT
Not an app but a map that showcases public fruit trees and other edible plants.
SIM CARD
The best coverage throughout NZ offers Spark. My recommendation is to get a Skinny sim card. Skinny uses the Spark network but is less expensive.
It's followed by Vodafone (now "OneNZ") but Skinny was a bit better in the remote places. All depends on what you're planning to do.
If you are not wanting to stay more than 3 months or are looking at starting at bit cheaper, Spark offers "NZ Travel Packs" that are valid for 3 months and turn out cheaper than other providers.
CHEAP SHOPS
OP SHOPS
If you're looking for camping equipment or anything in general, the second hand shop, called OP shops in NZ, are the best I've ever seen. This should be the first place for you to check out. Every city/town has them and the prices are really cheap. I absolutely loved them!
Some OP Shops are:
Red Cross
Salvation Army
Hospice
Vinnies
SPCA
Savemart (just clothes)
OTHER
If you're not successfull at the OP shops, you can check Facebook marketplace too.
Otherwise Kmart is a great option as well. They sell everything and it is the cheapest store followed by The Warehouse.
FREE WIFI
In case you need free wifi, there are always plenty of options:
Shopping Centers
Banks
Restaurants/Cafés
City Centers (there is often public wifi)
Libraries
ELECTRICITY
If you're traveling in a campervan or car and you don't have a second battery to charge your devices the best option is the public libraries. Each town, doesn't matter how small, usually has a library.
The other option would be to spend some time in a café or if you're planning on doing laundry, there's usually also power sockets.
SHOWERS
Campermate also displays you options for where you can take a shower, either for free or for a small fee. Public swimming pools most times offer the option of just paying for a shower instead of having to pay the entire entrance fee.
If it's summer and warm and you don't mind cold water, the best and free option is to use the public showers at a beach.
FREE ACTIVITIES OR ENTRANCES
Some sightseeing places offer free or highly discounted entrance on your birthday so it's worth it to check it out wherever you are.
DISCOUNTS
If you're planning on doing any activitites like tours for example, you should definitely check out Bookme as they always have discounts.
SUPERMARKETS
CLUB CARD
Sign up for their points program and save on special offers that you only get with their club card. Scan it at the check-out and it will be discounted from the original price.
SUPERMARKETS
PACK'N SAVE
The cheapest supermarket in New Zealand but prices can vary a lot depending on the location.
COUNTDOWN AND NEW WORLD
New World is considered more expensive than Countdown but really it depends on the current offers they have. If you buy their own-branded products there shouldn't really be a price difference.
FRESH CHOICE
Usually more expensive than the others but sometimes the only option in smaller towns. They do have some other products though than the other supermarkets if you're looking for something different. Quality was always really good there.
FOUR SQUARE/SUPER VALUE
Like FreshChoice, smaller and more expensive supermarkets than the big chains but also often the only ones to be found in small towns.
RESTAURANTS
A lot of restaurants have special offers, like a burger and drink for $15, on several weekdays so that's when you can save money on food.
Also at some places you can sign up for their newsletter and in return you get special offers sent to you by e-mail (e.g. free fries, milk-shakes etc.). Some even give you a meal for free for your birthday.
Thank you for reading till the end!
I'm sure those tips and tricks will help you make the most of your roadtrip and have the best time in NZ🙂
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