We always make sure we,re facing outwards when we freedom camp, with the keys close. Never had to do a fast retreat after many freedom nights in strange places
That’s a really good idea! If you have a campervan then the getaway is pretty straightforward which is good! Glad to hear you have never had a problem 😁
Some good advise there. We've been on the road for 6 years and I would only add 1 thing. We generally avoid freedom camping on a Friday and Saturday night. Far more likely to have a visit from hoons and the like on those two nights of the week.
Oh that is a very good point Dennis! Should have added that to the video 😉 I remember being out in Greymouth freedom camping spot on a Friday night and loads of cars were cruising around all night 🙄
We are just back from a 3 week trip to the South Island of New Zealand in our Jucy Rental (Cant miss them) and used the "Campermate" app to find freedom park ups and paid sites. We split the trip 50 / 50 finding more freedom camp spots on the east coast than the west, but everything went well with freedom camping. Even used a few DOC (department of conservation) Sites. Only time we thought we might have an issue was with a drunk at New Brighton in Christchurch, but quickly chatted to the guy and he moved on. In all we found New Zealand to be very Friendly and accommodating.
Live in my caravan full time and just travel now that I am retired. Have been living this lifestyle for six years now. Probably half of my overnight stops are freedom sites. I always try to get where I am going by early afternoon.....1ish at the latest. This way you almost always get a spot. Most tourists are trying to cram in as much as they can during their time in New Zealand, so often don't get to their preferred camp site until dark, or even later. When they find the designated sites full, some get quite angry and often then just park anywhere their vehicle will fit. The other benefit of getting there early, is that you can check out the area and make sure there are no hazards etc.
Yeh agreed! I think it’s a very good idea to get there early and have a look rather that showing up in the dark. Usually we have a backup place to stay as well which is think is a good idea. Hope you are enjoying life out there on the road! 😊
Thanks great information we are planning to visit your beautiful country in November. The place with the chainsaw looked very promising. I liked the waterfall and that cave.
Hi great advice. another tip is you can activate the security alarm on some vehicle push button keys to scare people away. also how many videos have you made and can you number them in chronological order and set them up as a series link on yt. Thanks again Jono P
Hey Jono. Just checked and it’s nearly 300 vidoes haha… but the older ones are not fantastic 😅 there are some playlists there with them all in chronological order, the one called “big lap of NZ” is the playlist of when we lived full time on the road 👍
If you have no toilet facilities please stay somewhere that provides toilet facilities. We have had defecation happen outside our houses on two occasions by freedom camper vans in NZ. Otherwise, so important to have toilet facilities onboard.
9 year's on the road in NZ and no issue's apart from the occasional hoon 😂 easy to get over imaginative when you hear any odd noises outside, key is to not over think it or think the worse. Easier said than done😂 thanks for sharing ❤
Lol happened to me too -freecamping at end of a dirt track by a river .....2am a chainsaw starts up, the guy with ute cutting away for about an hour! I thought what a strange time to be getting firewood, but no your swimmers explanation makes sense.
Great advice, thanks. As a solo renter of motorhomes, camping with others and chatting to your neighbours is invaluable. Talking to campers at public dump stations are also good places to get the lay of the land. Thanks heaps!
Yeh I totally agree! We stayed in loads of awesome places that we discovered by talking to people and getting recommendations. Conversations can be invaluable 😉
Good tips there Bronson. Another option is to join the NZMCA and use the clubs camp sites. A yearly fee of $90 gets you into over 50 camp sites in the north and south island at $5 a night, with water and dump stations provided . There is also many free park over spots at NZMCA members properties and friends of the NZMCA. You can get discounted ferry sailings as a member and many other discounted products. Enjoy your videos Bronson. I thought that wireless nation vid of your son delivering the WN package was a stroke of genius. Well done.
Haha I forgot about the video! Had to bribe him heaps to get all of those shots 😁 you are 100% right on the NZMCA membership, best $90 you can spend I reckon, we love the NZMCA parks around the place and have used loads of the pops. Well worth it I reckon! Especially with that Ferry discount too!
1 - don't park on private property 2 - follow the rules 3 - camp with others where possible 4 - have a flashlight, handy at night 5 - read reviews on Google Maps
And the self contained should mean just that, everything should have to remain in the vehicle and the three day thing should have to be proven by people being required to demonstrate remaining in the vehicle for three days.
That is interesting because all they tell you is X litres of fresh water per person, I wonder how they come up with that number and if it includes showering or dishes etc?
I don’t pay my rates to stand in line at the beach while three tourists do their morning ablutions, including showers, before I can just rinse the salt and sand off before I go home. Or not be able to wash my hands at public conveniences because all the basins are being used by tourists doing their laundry. They should all have to go to a commercial campground and pay there way like everybody else. And no their tourist spending doesn’t redeem anything because .havent you noticed, they don’t want to spend.
Yeh I think the argument is always “well they are spending money in your town” BUT how much are they really spending? A few groceries and a bit of petrol? Bit different to say a tour bus or cruise ship I guess?
@@AdventuresWithRosy Dont start me on Cruise ships, catering to that market is little, if anything, more than sophisticated begging. And we allow ourselves to be manoeuvred into that predicament.
when I checked out your "chainsaw massacre" spot I walked in on two long legged European girls pulling their pants up after using the park as a toilet 😐I think one thing we've come to learn is to look around for human waste near where we are parking and move if it doesn't look great. We cannot think of anything worse than the kids or dogs getting it on them 🤢💩
Oh that’s horrible! Dog poo is bad enough but human is another level! “Chainsaw massacre” I like that 😁 we shall now refer to that part of the coast as the chainsaw massacre spot! Haha
Go down the pub n talk to the locals thyl usaly give ya a lil shit in a light harted fun way if ya can take that thyl usaly point u to the best local spots ud otherwise never find a kiwi pub is always the hub of any town
Yeh that’s a great point! Even just chatting to someone at a dairy or petrol station too! We found loads of mint places to stay just from chatting to people!
Yeh I’m not sure what that rule is all about! It’s very strange. The beach is covered in wood too so you would hardly notice if anything went missing 🙄
@Adventures With Rosy It's the damn councils that invented the term so they could write new bylaws further curtailing peoples freedom. They must own the sign making factory by the amount they litter the beaches with. DOC are as bad. If they can't think of anything to do, they won't get the money next year or have jobs.I want them all to leave the coast alone. Where I am, they tarmaced the car park and put in a curb which channels the rain out to sea the new pohutakawas died of thirst.
Any Freedom Camping tips we missed?
Talk to a local if you see one -you'll be surprised how many'll let you stay on private property *if you're going to respect it.*
We always make sure we,re facing outwards when we freedom camp, with the keys close. Never had to do a fast retreat after many freedom nights in strange places
That’s a really good idea! If you have a campervan then the getaway is pretty straightforward which is good! Glad to hear you have never had a problem 😁
Some good advise there. We've been on the road for 6 years and I would only add 1 thing.
We generally avoid freedom camping on a Friday and Saturday night. Far more likely to have a visit from hoons and the like on those two nights of the week.
Oh that is a very good point Dennis! Should have added that to the video 😉 I remember being out in Greymouth freedom camping spot on a Friday night and loads of cars were cruising around all night 🙄
We are just back from a 3 week trip to the South Island of New Zealand in our Jucy Rental (Cant miss them) and used the "Campermate" app to find freedom park ups and paid sites. We split the trip 50 / 50 finding more freedom camp spots on the east coast than the west, but everything went well with freedom camping. Even used a few DOC (department of conservation) Sites.
Only time we thought we might have an issue was with a drunk at New Brighton in Christchurch, but quickly chatted to the guy and he moved on. In all we found New Zealand to be very Friendly and accommodating.
That’s great to hear! The CamperMate app is great isn’t it. Glad you had a good experience, hope you enjoyed the holiday 😀
I have travelled on my own for 3 years now and can relate and agree with pretty much all you have said 😊
3 years! Good on you! 😁👍
Live in my caravan full time and just travel now that I am retired. Have been living this lifestyle for six years now. Probably half of my overnight stops are freedom sites. I always try to get where I am going by early afternoon.....1ish at the latest. This way you almost always get a spot. Most tourists are trying to cram in as much as they can during their time in New Zealand, so often don't get to their preferred camp site until dark, or even later. When they find the designated sites full, some get quite angry and often then just park anywhere their vehicle will fit.
The other benefit of getting there early, is that you can check out the area and make sure there are no hazards etc.
Yeh agreed! I think it’s a very good idea to get there early and have a look rather that showing up in the dark. Usually we have a backup place to stay as well which is think is a good idea. Hope you are enjoying life out there on the road! 😊
Thanks great information we are planning to visit your beautiful country in November. The place with the chainsaw looked very promising. I liked the waterfall and that cave.
It’s a really nice spot there! That cave is really neat. Punakaki is a lovely area 👍
Hi great advice. another tip is you can activate the security alarm on some vehicle push button keys to scare people away. also how many videos have you made and can you number them in chronological order and set them up as a series link on yt. Thanks again Jono P
Hey Jono. Just checked and it’s nearly 300 vidoes haha… but the older ones are not fantastic 😅 there are some playlists there with them all in chronological order, the one called “big lap of NZ” is the playlist of when we lived full time on the road 👍
If you have no toilet facilities please stay somewhere that provides toilet facilities. We have had defecation happen outside our houses on two occasions by freedom camper vans in NZ. Otherwise, so important to have toilet facilities onboard.
Oh that’s no good! Totally agree with what you said 👍
We have found it hard to freedom camp with a car and caravan. Due to them been car parks not suitable for caravans. This is awesome info Bronsan
Thanks! And you are 100% right, there are quite a few places that are too small for caravan and tow vehicle. Great point 👍
9 year's on the road in NZ and no issue's apart from the occasional hoon 😂 easy to get over imaginative when you hear any odd noises outside, key is to not over think it or think the worse. Easier said than done😂 thanks for sharing ❤
Haha yeh it freaked us out a bit but then we just went back to sleep 😂 9 years on the road! Good effort!
Great advice thanks for the tips
Cheers for watching! 👍
Lol happened to me too -freecamping at end of a dirt track by a river .....2am a chainsaw starts up, the guy with ute cutting away for about an hour! I thought what a strange time to be getting firewood, but no your swimmers explanation makes sense.
Oh wow so it’s happened to someone else too! Interesting! We laugh about it now but it was a pretty odd thing to wake up to haha
Great advice Mr Bronson. We could always hook our caravan onto yours and save even more.😅
Haha would make for a great image, the Lilliput behind our caravan 😁
Great advice, thanks. As a solo renter of motorhomes, camping with others and chatting to your neighbours is invaluable. Talking to campers at public dump stations are also good places to get the lay of the land. Thanks heaps!
Yeh I totally agree! We stayed in loads of awesome places that we discovered by talking to people and getting recommendations. Conversations can be invaluable 😉
Superb points! You all are definitely making us home bound folks jealous with all of the beautiful shots youve got there!
Haha true! There are some pretty beautiful spots out there in New Zealand!
Fab Video, Great advice
Thanks guys 😊
Good tips there Bronson. Another option is to join the NZMCA and use the clubs camp sites. A yearly fee of $90 gets you into over 50 camp sites in the north and south island at $5 a night, with water and dump stations provided . There is also many free park over spots at NZMCA members properties and friends of the NZMCA. You can get discounted ferry sailings as a member and many other discounted products.
Enjoy your videos Bronson. I thought that wireless nation vid of your son delivering the WN package was a stroke of genius. Well done.
Haha I forgot about the video! Had to bribe him heaps to get all of those shots 😁 you are 100% right on the NZMCA membership, best $90 you can spend I reckon, we love the NZMCA parks around the place and have used loads of the pops. Well worth it I reckon! Especially with that Ferry discount too!
1 - don't park on private property
2 - follow the rules
3 - camp with others where possible
4 - have a flashlight, handy at night
5 - read reviews on Google Maps
😊👍
Pretty good coverage
Thanks Ted 👍
And the self contained should mean just that, everything should have to remain in the vehicle and the three day thing should have to be proven by people being required to demonstrate remaining in the vehicle for three days.
That is interesting because all they tell you is X litres of fresh water per person, I wonder how they come up with that number and if it includes showering or dishes etc?
Ive been freedom camping for 50+ odd years mate no problem
Nice one! Yeh you hear the odd horror story but I think it’s pretty safe 👍
I don’t pay my rates to stand in line at the beach while three tourists do their morning ablutions, including showers, before I can just rinse the salt and sand off before I go home. Or not be able to wash my hands at public conveniences because all the basins are being used by tourists doing their laundry. They should all have to go to a commercial campground and pay there way like everybody else. And no their tourist spending doesn’t redeem anything because .havent you noticed, they don’t want to spend.
Yeh I think the argument is always “well they are spending money in your town” BUT how much are they really spending? A few groceries and a bit of petrol? Bit different to say a tour bus or cruise ship I guess?
@@AdventuresWithRosy Dont start me on Cruise ships, catering to that market is little, if anything, more than sophisticated begging. And we allow ourselves to be manoeuvred into that predicament.
Have seen people with chainsaws cutting logs on the beach at Westport in the day. Mind you there is a lot of logs there.
Oh really! Yeh I doubt it’s highly policed haha. There is some nice looking logs on that beach!
when I checked out your "chainsaw massacre" spot I walked in on two long legged European girls pulling their pants up after using the park as a toilet 😐I think one thing we've come to learn is to look around for human waste near where we are parking and move if it doesn't look great. We cannot think of anything worse than the kids or dogs getting it on them 🤢💩
Oh that’s horrible! Dog poo is bad enough but human is another level! “Chainsaw massacre” I like that 😁 we shall now refer to that part of the coast as the chainsaw massacre spot! Haha
Only 15 mths
Been doing it for 15 + yrs
15 years! Nice one! That’s impressive 👏
Safer than Australia, NZ doesn’t have Dropbears
Haha I had to Google dropbears! 😅 pretty much the same thing as possums right?
Aotearoa NZ is the second safest country in the world after Iceland.
Oh is it! That’s good news 😁 I suppose Australia is pretty safe too?
That's nonsense
Go down the pub n talk to the locals thyl usaly give ya a lil shit in a light harted fun way if ya can take that thyl usaly point u to the best local spots ud otherwise never find a kiwi pub is always the hub of any town
Yeh that’s a great point! Even just chatting to someone at a dairy or petrol station too! We found loads of mint places to stay just from chatting to people!
What a crazy country eh? Not allowed to take a piece of driftwood off the beach to craft into a thing of beauty🙄 Jesus wept!
Yeh I’m not sure what that rule is all about! It’s very strange. The beach is covered in wood too so you would hardly notice if anything went missing 🙄
Depends if you are the 2nd Native or not (not the 3rd)
@@ezekielchariot What's that?
Yes Jesus wept
Not any more they just banned it
Banned freedom camping!?
@@AdventuresWithRosy yip crazy new rules up to 5k fines country screaming about it. The camping groups are trying to fight it
@@faffybubs9099 oh no! That sounds very average. I’ll go have a read now!
I would be careful mate. I personally lost my virginity doing exactly what you're doing....
Haha I’m confused! You lost it talking about freedom camping?
@@AdventuresWithRosy hot topic!
I think NZ is safe as long as you use common sense
Yeh 100% agree 👍 commonsense will take you far in life haha
Stop putting the word freedom on the front of camping. We just used to go camping. Freedom camping implies you owe someone else something.
It’s just the commonly used term right? Everyone refers to it as freedom camping, including the councils etc 🤷
@Adventures With Rosy It's the damn councils that invented the term so they could write new bylaws further curtailing peoples freedom. They must own the sign making factory by the amount they litter the beaches with. DOC are as bad. If they can't think of anything to do, they won't get the money next year or have jobs.I want them all to leave the coast alone. Where I am, they tarmaced the car park and put in a curb which channels the rain out to sea the new pohutakawas died of thirst.
@@George.Andrews. cry baby oin oin oin
@@edt409 thin edge of the wedge . Keep your wits about you.
@@George.Andrews. here you go again... about to bring you a milky bottle mate.
USAhas more danerous people, we like to camp away from people
Yeh fair enough Kelly! Do you boondock much in America?