New Zealand Camping – Alternative wild camping 5 Star Driveways

New Zealand camping like never before! Road-tripping around New Zealand in a camper-van is practically a guaranteed route to fun and adventure and consequently there are plenty of people out there doing just that. This, in turn, results in a choice of seemingly endless camp-site options along with the more free-and-easy alternative of wild camping. However, opportunities in the latter category become scarcer as laws tighten and not everyone wants to camp alongside other campers at an official site. But now there is another alternative thanks to one lady’s initiative launched in December 2014 and known as ‘My 5 Star Driveway‘.

The scheme marries up locals – in possession of a driveway, field, courtyard or otherwise large enough space to take a parked-up van – with all the road-trippers out there in need of the said driveway etc. The idea appears to be an ‘everybody wins’ type concept – the camper gets to park up in amazing locations or otherwise unobtainable places while the driveway owner gets to pocket a little money and meet interesting folk from all over the world.

Apparently the inspiration behind Rai Banbury’s idea and her tag-line – ‘where campers meet locals and locals meet campers’ was her mum’s stories of caravanning and camper-van adventures in the 60s, 70s and 80s. According to mum Janine, the locals and their inside knowledge of an area’s hidden gems are the highlight of any trip and of course Rai’s idea allows campers to tap straight into that source.

And just to give you a little sampling of what you might find – one driveway owner in Christchurch offers a lamb roast dinner thrown in at a small (and negotiable) extra charge. With inclusions such as this we’re thinking this could become the next big thing.

For further information about this style of ‘free & wild’ New Zealand camping please contact the team at What to do in Wellington.

Enjoy some off the beaten track places to stay