Where can I park a campervan overnight in Christchurch?

Christchurch is both a great launch pad and a great end point for your New Zealand motorhome holiday.  It's also an amazing destination in it's own right with plenty of attractions and things to do both in the city and the surrounding area, but where is it OK to park a campervan or motorhome overnight?

Luckily there are a number of options when it comes to overnight motorhome parking, with some better and more convenient than others.  Let's discuss the options... 

Freedom camping

Freedom camping is a type of camping where individuals or groups can camp in designated areas, without having to pay for a campsite or obtain prior permission. It allows campers to enjoy the natural beauty of an area and experience the outdoors while minimising costs.

The concept of freedom camping is based on the idea of providing more affordable camping options and giving people the freedom to explore and enjoy the environment. However, it is important to note that freedom camping is subject to certain rules and regulations to ensure environmental sustainability and protect public and private property.

In Christchurch there are a number of different options when it comes to the question where can I freedom camp in Christchurch.  It's worth familiraising yourself with the specific bylaws (Freedom Camping Bylaw 2021) that apply to freedom campers.  These can be found on the Christchurch City Council Website.

In summary the rules are:

1. You must be in a certified self contained vehicle

2. There are prohibited areas you cannot freedom camp in, namely:

   1. Central City prohibited area

   2. Southshore Spit prohibited area

   3. New Brighton and North Beach Car Park prohibited areas

   4. Rapaki prohibited area

   5. Naval Point & Lyttelton prohibited areas

3. You can spend no more than 2 nights freedom camping in the Christchurch Urban Restricted Area

Overall, freedom camping provides an opportunity for campers to enjoy outdoor adventures while being mindful of their impact on the environment and respecting the rights of landowners and local communities.

Park over property

Park over property camping, or POP camping is as the name suggests parking your campervan over private property.  Park over property is a scheme that was started by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) way back in 1991.  Membership of the NZMCA is required to access some POP sites, but not all, many are available to non-members too.

The fee for POP sites can range anywhere from $5 to $30 per person.

There are a wide variety of POP sites and they are often businesses that have some spare space used by motorhomes to encourage visitors to frequent their business.

More information on the park over property scheme, including a directory of POP sites in the Christchurch area can be found on the NZMCA website.

South Brighton Holiday Park

This is a seaside holiday park located to the east of Christchurch City.  It's a great base to get into the city but also to spend some time on the outskirts enjoying the coast too.

The holiday park has various types of accomodation covering motorhome parking sites, tent sites and cabins.  There are communal kitchen facilties, toilets & showers and there is wifi access.  Bookings are accepted online.

North South Holiday Park

This park caters to a wide variety of tourists, from backpackers, to people that are car-camping, right through to motor-homers.  They have a wide range of accomodation types including:

• 2 and 3 bedroom holiday houses

• Cabins

• Tent sites

• Self contained units

• Backpacker accomodation

• Powered motorhome sites

So there is definitely a suitable accomodation option no matter what your group!

They have all the amenities you would expect from a modern and well run camp site, not only the standard offerings of wifi, electric hook ups, toilets, showers, kitchen, etc, but the park also boasts a swimming pool and a games/TV room - great for socialising with other campers at the end of a tough day!

Bookings can be made directly with the camp on their website.

Summary

There are many options for where to stay in Christchurch.  It really depends on what's best for your situation - close and convenient to the city or a bit further out but with a few more facilities.  For those that need facilities and are potentially travelling as a group we recommend North South Holiday Park.