Free Camping in New Zealand’s South Island: My Three Favorite Spots

When you are not self contained, you learn the hard way how difficult it can be to find a free place to sleep in New Zealand. Honestly, it is pretty crazy. You are required to have toilets inside your car or van to sleep in many places, even when there are public restrooms just ten meters away. I have shown up at a perfectly good looking spot more than once, only to read the sign and realize I was not allowed to stay.

So after a lot of trial and error, and a few awkward late night drives looking for a backup plan, here are my three favorite free spots on the South Island.

Kaikōura, Mangamaunu

This beach is a bit of a secret surf spot, tucked near Mangamaunu. To get there it is pretty simple, you cross the train tracks right at the bend near the Mangamaunu Maori Urupa. There are no restrooms directly on the parking lot, so you do have to walk a little to find the nearest one. But here is the thing, no one will bother you even if you are not self contained, since it is a Māori reserve and the usual rules around freedom camping work a bit differently there. Worth checking locally if you are unsure before you settle in for the night.

Bring a surfboard if you have one. You get to enjoy the view of the mountains while surfing with dolphins, which is honestly one of those moments that makes you forget you have been living out of a van for weeks. I can spend hours just sitting there watching the surfers. The wave itself is a long right hand point break that peels for hundreds of meters over a cobblestone seabed, with the Kaikōura mountain range rising right behind it. It is genuinely one of the most scenic breaks in the country. Flying the drone over the surfers here is one of those things that is honestly hard to put into words. If you keep driving up the coast from here, don’t miss the stretch between Picton and Kaikōura, it might be my favorite day trip on the whole South Island.

Anatori River Camp

This place feels almost imaginary. It is incredibly peaceful and majestically beautiful, the kind of spot where you just sit there for a while before you even start setting up camp.

You need to drive around forty kilometers on a gravel road to reach it, winding through farmland and along the edge of the Whanganui Inlet, with sheep outnumbering people about a thousand to one the whole way. You end up almost on the West Coast, at the literal end of the road, in a tiny hamlet called Anatori at the mouth of the Anatori River.

When we arrived it started pouring down, so we ended up stuck in the boot of our car. We had just enough time to set everything up before we sat there watching a movie for an hour and a half while we waited for the rain to stop. We got the most beautiful rainbow I think I have ever seen, and I even managed to fly the drone at sunset. Honestly, it was my favorite moment of the entire road trip this year.

Totally worth it, even just for the drive alone. If you have a bit of extra time, there is also a short detour to the Kaihoka Lakes on the way in, walkable between two lakes through a stretch of nikau palms.

Andrews Shelter Campsite, Arthur’s Pass

This one gives you some of the most beautiful mountain views you can get on the South Island. It is a particularly special spot for me, since my best friend joined me here during her honeymoon in New Zealand. We spent a few days together at Arthur’s Pass when I arrived in NZ this year, and it was the first sunny day of their entire trip, so that felt like a small victory in itself. I also spent a few days properly exploring Arthur’s Pass, here’s what a full day there looks like.

The only inconvenience of the place, and you really do need to be prepared for this, is the sandflies. There are thousands of them, so bring a very strong repellent, or you will spend your evening regretting every life choice that led you to this campsite.

You get there off Mount White Road, a gravel track that runs about five kilometers in, past farmland and through a small bridge, ending at an open shelter with space for a handful of vehicles surrounded by mountains on every side. No phone signal, no noise except the wind, and on a clear night the kind of stars that make you forget about the bugs for a minute. It is also a popular starting point for trampers heading toward Casey Hut, so you might share the spot with a few overnight hikers as well.

Want to stay connected while you chase these spots down forty kilometers of gravel road with zero signal? I wrote a whole guide on the eSIM and phone plan setup I use everywhere I go.

Read my guide to staying connected abroad →