7 Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024 ISSUE 7 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Dinner Food supplies can be supplemented with fishing when your caravan floats. ©2024 Graham Leslie Fishing when your caravan floats. Graham Leslie Food supplies can be supplemented with fishing when your caravan floats. ©2024 Graham Leslie GO TO Celebrating Summer Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 27 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 4 editor@campingthekiwiway.org

Summer 2025 ISSUE 13 BUY PDF Contents Click on image for full view and caption SS_Omokoroa-_20250908_093106.webp GO TO as the seasons change between Katikati and Tauranga STOP and STAY Omokoroa Domain Maggie O’Rourke Bay of Plenty Omokoroa is only 20km northwest of Tauranga’s CBD and 24km to Katikati. Freedom camp 3-night stay in a one month period. Dump station and fresh water on-site. 9 spaces and 2 large-vehicle spaces Public toilets, cold showers, children’s play ground, a free gas bbq at the northern end and access to the wharf at the southern end. There is an Omokoroa Beach store, and upstairs a bar, restaurant and cafe; boat ramp, wharf, there’s a restaurant at the boat club (but only members can use the bar and club area). A dedicated, small ferry service is available from Omokoroa to Matakana Island. I haven’t been able to find a timetable anywhere. Did see the ferry. Omokoroa to Tauranga cycle trail: you can now cycle all the way along this fantastic 19km route. Every Saturday there is a market at the Settlers Hall, 334 Omokoroa Rd. omokoroabeach.nz/parks-reserves/omokoroa-domain Omokoroa Domain 4 The Esplande Omokoroa. There is also 2 other 3-night stays in the area: you can camp at Cooney Reserve (no dogs) and Omokoroa Sports Ground (according to the Rankers app). Photos: ©2025 Maggie O’Rourke 🏕️ Up Up Summer 2025 , p 32

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing Q’town makes us welcome This is the summer to visit Queenstown Miriam Richardson There are parking bylaws and nationwide reserve laws that continue to affect freedom camping in Queenstown this summer, but the years-long prohibitive bans are gone from Queenstown Lakes District. The national law requiring freedom campers to be validly certified as self-contained still applies. After a lengthy legal battle Queenstown’s freedom camping bylaw has been judged invalid. “In the latest decision Justice Osborne, in the High Court in Invercargill, has declared QLDC’s decision to adopt its 2021 bylaw was invalid due to the unlawful influence and consideration of irrelevant matters, namely the economic impact on commercial campgrounds and the effects on private property values/amenity.” (NZMCA) The law states that freedom camping is “permitted in any local authority area”, though bylaws can restrict or prohibit freedom camping, they can only do so for specific purposes at specific places in response to a problem. “11 (2) A local authority may make a bylaw under subsection (1) only if it is satisfied that— (a) the bylaw is necessary for 1 or more of the following purposes: (i) to protect the area: (ii) to protect the health and safety of people who may visit the area: (iii) to protect access to the area; and (b) the bylaw is the most appropriate and proportionate way of addressing the perceived problem in relation to that area; and (c) the bylaw is not inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.” Freedom Camping Act 2011, 11 Restricting freedom camping also has to be “proportionate” to the problem, and “the most appropriate way” to address the problem. And, “for the avoidance of doubt” the law says: “12 Bylaws must not absolutely prohibit freedom camping (1) A local authority may not make bylaws under section 11 that have the effect of prohibiting freedom camping in all the local authority areas in its district.” Freedom Camping Act 2011, 12 The council has not yet decided if it will appeal the decision. The decision means there are legal costs it will need to meet for the challenger, NZMCA, and more costs if it appeals and loses yet again. It is also unclear as yet if the council will be obliged to refund any fines imposed under their invalid bylaw. The council maintains it was a valid bylaw right up until the moment the High Court said it wasn’t valid. In spite of two legal battles about freedom camping, the QLDC Chief Executive Mike Theelen strangely, still, seems to be unacquainted with the law. He still seems to believe that a general ban with a very few exceptions is legally acceptable. In the council response (24/9/24) to the court ruling: he says: “The Freedom Camping Act permits freedom camping on some public land, unless restricted or prohibited by a bylaw.” [emphasis mine] Accessed 29/10/24 ckw.nz/queenstown-response the law says: “Freedom camping is permitted in any local authority area, unless it is restricted or prohibited…” [emphasis mine] Freedom Camping Act 2011 10 (1). If the council doesn’t take the time and effort to actually look at the law itself (rather than the bits that have been fought and lost in court), it may be heading for a new round of expensive legal battles. It has begun the process of creating a new bylaw for 2025, which cannot be done before the summer is over. So in the meantime, this is the summer to explore the Queenstown Lakes district without the worry of their bounty-hunter-enforcers. ◊ “We warmly welcome responsible campers to our district” says the Queenstown chief executive and here I am at one of their very few freedom camping spots, Red Bridge, 81km from Q’town, on a busy corner of SH8a. 81km! (Above, from Google Street View. Below through my windscreen.) A fine scenic view of road signs, with free road entertainment as the trucks grind up the hill from the sharp corner. Not what I would call a ‘warm welcome’. 81km! Images ©2024 M Richardson Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 14

Summer 2025 ISSUE 13 BUY PDF Contents Click on image for full view and caption 13-CKW-cover-25-Hero.webp GO TO as the seasons change Camping the Kiwi Way, 13, Spring 2025 Up Up Summer 2025 , p 1

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing stories from a spring of camping Springing Many campers See your camping stories from spring. Tents. Weather. The night sky. Places to go, places to stay, things to do. GO Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 11

2 Summer 2022 Summer 2022 ISSUE 2 CONTENTS PDF BUY Up Taking a left turn Gary Stoneley Up Are you a mainstream traveler, always following the main highways or are you a diversionist, taking that chance to detour from the main route to explore and maybe encounter something new or different? On our recent trip north we decided to veer from the main flow of traffic and take a left turn. Our journey started at Waiouru Army Museum , a favourite overnight stop over of ours on our trips up the North Island. Free for certified self-contained campers, with a security patrol and access to toilets and cafe during opening hours, its a safe stopover, even in the snow. On this trip the morning dawned with clear blue skies and a breathtaking view of Mount Ruapehu. Instead of our usual sprint across the desert road we chose to turn left and head towards Ohakune. First stop the site of the Tangiwai rail disaster Christmas Eve 1953. Considerable work has been put into this memorial reserve with information boards and new public toilets. We saw no signs to state you could not stop overnight. Ohakune has made its claim to fame from mountain skiing and a giant carrot but it now offers so much more. As soon as you hit the town you see a masterful children's playground, full of life-size characters, play equipment and adjacent to a modern toilet block and dump station. Ruapehu District Council must be commended on the improvements they are making. If travelling through Ohakune you must visit the chocolate eclair shop. What surprised us most in the town was the sheer number of cyclists. From being a winter skiing hotspot prior to Covid 19 the town has become a cycling mecca with multiple bike tour operators, cycling shops and associated adventure activities. The prime ride is the Old Coach Road suitable for all levels of riders. We have pencilled this in for our next trip. From Ohakune we traveled to National Park and stayed overnight (free camping) in the station car park. This site has a Kiwi Camp amenities block. This was our first time at purchasing a token (from the station cafe) and using a Kiwi Camp which included toilets, showers, laundry and basic kitchen facilities. With only a few camping vehicles during the day the site became a plethora of mingling international visitors together with kiwi travellers. Powered sites and electric vehicle charging points were also available, a sign of changing times. Highlights for us were the steam train stopping off while we were there and getting our electric bikes out on the local tracks into the hills. Continuing up the left side of the mountains and Lake Taupo we travelled past the Owhanga Lodge and Hotel which offers accommodation and adventure rafting activities and through Taumaranui, home of the Forgotten World Adventures to Te Kuiti. Famous for shearing and Colin Meads we recommend taking a left turn before crossing the rail lines and walking across the amazing rail pedestrian bridge into the town centre. With everything from modern stained glass pictures portraying the regions history to a Japanese garden there is a lot to see. Te Kuiti also has a small Kiwi Camp but we decided to carry on to Otorohanga stopping at a basic sheltered campground, with power and facilities backing onto the Otorohanga Kiwi House and Native Bird Park . On our travels we have visited many kiwi houses but this one remains our favourite. Te Kuiti and Otorohanga are near the Waitomo Glowworm Caves but on this trip we decided to travel the short distance to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari ecological wildlife reserve. The park comprises many hectares of native bush and walking tracks of varying lengths. A moderate level of fitness is recommended due to the undulating nature of the tracks. A highlight for us was coming across an abandoned kiwi burrow in the base of a large tree and an active one in a bank. Self-contained campers can stay overnight in the outside carpark. This ensures you get to see and hear the birds at their most active early in the morning. We were more than happy to make a worthwhile donation towards the development of the reserve. From here our adventure up the left side came to an end but we made sure we checked out some of the many camping reserves along the banks of the mighty Waikato River, got lost and were on the lookout for a red tractor. But that is a story for another day. Turning off the main highway and taking that left turn was well worth it! Photos ©2022 Gary Stoneley Up Up Mt Ruapehu Morning dawned with clear blue skies and a breathtaking view of Mount Ruapehu. ©2022 Gary Stoneley National Park car park We traveled to National Park and stayed overnight (free camping) in the station car park. This site has a Kiwi Camp amenities block. ©2022 Gary Stoneley The view from the sanctuary ©2022 M Richardson Mt Ruapehu Morning dawned with clear blue skies and a breathtaking view of Mount Ruapehu. ©2022 Gary Stoneley 1/10

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption GO TO Springing How small are we in this world? Butchers Dam aurora Shellie Evans How small are we in this world? Not us but another caravanner oblivious to the skies above. It started out well, clear calm skies but then cloud rolled in and teased, with it’s thin layer & tendrils just reaching into the aurora. Butchers Dam, Alexandra, Aurora Australis, 11/10/24 10.05pm. ◊ ©2024 Shellie Evans Photography ckw.nz/shellie-fb Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 11

11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Red lights at night ©2025 Andrew Morton GO TO Here & there last summer Always brings a smile & laugh The red lights? Andrew Morton I thought ‘I must have one of those’, so Retrocampers added a stripe of LED lights when building the teardrop. My wife thought I was nuts! I assured her the orange colour would repel mozzies (not sure about that) but she loves seeing the photos now & calls it my fairy grotto. It’s like having the glow of a camp fire, without the fire risk. A party for one! Always brings a smile & laugh to my mates’ faces when they see them. March ’24 ©2025 Andrew Morton Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 11

10 summer 2024 Summer 2024 ISSUE 10 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Kina Beach and campground Kina Beach ©2024 Miriam Richardson Kina Beach ©2024 Miriam Richardson McKee's Reserve ©2024 Miriam Richardson McKees Reserve ©2024 Miriam Richardson Timing lights on the Takaka Hill ©2024 Miriam Richardson Limestone on the Takaka Hill Hawke's. ©2024 Miriam Richardson Takaka. Watercolour. ©2024 David Liddall Labyrinth Rocks ©2024 Miriam Richardson Port Tarakohe ©2024 Miriam Richardson Collingwood estuary ©2024 Miriam Richardson The perfect omelette pan ©2024 Miriam Richardson Collingwood picnic spot ©2024 Miriam Richardson Farewell Spit lighthouse ©2024 Miriam Richardson GO TO Springing Google says it is a 2 hour drive! 2 hours! Take a month! SH60 Richmond to Collingwood, Tasman SH60 begins in Richmond, travels through Motueka and Takaka and ends after 117km at Collingwood. Richmond is a great little town/suburb south of Nelson, with a complete range of shops, good opshops, a really friendly place to get your COF/WOF, a truck stop, two campgrounds, and a dump station. After driving through the orchards, we slip off the highway to Māpua, a cute seaside village on Ruby Bay. Dont miss the Interactive Wooden Art Gallery which is full of fascinations. Beyond Māpua is the wonderful McKee Memorial Reserve (above & right), a camping reserve between the hill and the shore. You dont need to be self-contained as there are toilets, showers, and a dump station. It’s not free, but low cost. Kina Beach Kina Beach Heading to reunite with SH60, instead, turn-off to Kina Beach, another small campground on the sea. There are toilets, so no need to be self-contained. It’s a lovely stop worth at least a couple of nights. Then we head on to get back to SH60 and on to Motueka. Motueka There are two freedom camps in Motueka, both in alcohol ban areas, one in the town centre, one by the sea. There are not nearly as many parks as there are freedom campers, but there are also two campgrounds. Motueka has a great range of shops, and opshops, and an excellent dump station. There are two camping spots beyond Motueka, both require self-containment, one low cost (Riwaka Hotel) and one free, Riwaka Valley. Instead of heading for the big Tākaka hill, you can turn off SH60 to go to Kaiteriteri and Mārahau, both with campgrounds, spectacular beaches, and easy access to the Abel Tasman National Park. Takaka Hill The Tākaka Hill is an entity in its own right. It is the only ground access to Golden Bay, it is steep and windy, and the weather often closes it. When I was there a long stretch was one way with timing lights taking some of the frustration out of the wait. The hill is limestone, there are caves (costs to enter) and there is a free camping spot most of the way up the Motueka side of the hill, Hawke’s Lookout, easier for shorter vehicles than longer ones. There is a great walk to the lookout, and you get to see the sculpted limestone up close. Over the top of the hill its a long slope down into Golden Bay — lovely views, if you are a passenger, lovely glimpses of you are driving. Golden Bay reminds me of 1960s NZ, it’s not all spiffed-up and moneyed like the Motueka side. Tākaka Tākaka is the main town in the bay. There is a free camp in the town car park (leave by 7am!), a dump station, and water from the petrol station (for a donation). Takaka bike shop painting above by David Liddall. It’s a central hub for some lovely adventures: Te Waikoropupū Springs, and the original Pupu hydro power station and its walkway, further up the valley. Labyrinth Rocks (especially good on a hot day), Port Tarakohe with its spectacular views (take your tea and watch the sundown), Wainui Falls and Wainui Bay for a day trip, and over the hills beyond is Tōtaranui, and the northern end of the Abel Tasman National Park. Continuing on SH60, the bay is a beautiful green rural area, with views over the sea from the high spots. There are not many freedom camps, but there’s a campground before the Parapara Inlet, and another at Collingwood itself where SH60 ends. Collingwood Collingwood is another small village, with a pub, a grocery and hardware shop, a first/secondhand shop which is “open if we are not closed, 11am to 4pm”. I got my perfect, new, cast-iron omelette pan from this shop. It is a beautiful spot, with stunning picnic spots as well as a lovely campground. Collingwood is a great base for adventures beyond. The Pākawau Campground, Whanganui Inlet (its the west coast, some free camping spots, narrow roads and causeways; no exit), Wharariki Campground, also on the west coast, beyond the entrance to Pūponga Farm and Cape Farewell. Farewell Spit has a visitor centre/cafe and you can walk from there to the beaches, but it is a fair hike. To get a real look you need to take a tour which gets you beyond the public boundaries as far as the lighthouse, far out at the end of the spit. Day tours are run out of Collingwood, picking up people along the way. The lighthouse Take a month SH60: you could do it in a day. Google says it is a 2 hour drive! 2 hours! Take a month! Plenty to see and do, and lovely every bit of the way. ◊ Photos ©2024 Miriam Richardson Up Up 10 Summer 2024 , p 7

1 Spring 2022 A teardrop camper Up Gary Hitchcock My little teardrop started life in 2016 as an idea to have something I could use to get away and recharge myself, and also as a bug-out camper in the event of a disaster. I live in Christchurch! I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939” so just started with that. I had an old trailer with a body that was too rusty to save, but the frame was ok. The main material for the camper was a UV-protected plastic sheet, ideal for outside use. It was getting dumped from where I was working at the time. I had the advantage of being able to use a large laser cutter to cut it to my design. It was about a year before I was ready to start the build, having found funds and materials to start putting it together. A lot of the bits and pieces are reject parts that would have been tossed out, like the windows, roof vent & gray water tank, that are made from PVC cabinet door fronts. I have two layers to the floor so there is lots of storage under the bed. The feature I like best is the kitchen. I didn’t do a full, built-in kitchen in the back as I like the open feel of having a large window open to the world. It is fantastic when you get to camp with a great view you can enjoy even if the weather is not great. It still works as a kitchen, with the main shelf and a fold down one I put my vintage Primus cooker on, with the wash sink. It keeps everything flexible to change around to suit what I am doing at the time. After all, it is supposed to be camping. I have fun cooking up a storm as I have plenty of food in the storage areas, but never know what I will find till I get there. All part of the adventure. I can also easily remove the two clear polycarbonate windows & main shelf if I need to use the teardrop as a covered trailer. I use a small old solar panel to run a small fan to have fresh air circulating, mainly for when the teardrop is not in use over winter, so it is always fresh. I didn’t plan on having a TV, but after finding a bargain & some speakers, media player & amplifier I put them all together and made a great little system to listen to music & watch movies when I just want to relax at the end of the day. With the teardrop having a bit of an old aircraft look to it I was after something to go on the front. While I was working on it I heard Murray Ball passed away, 12 March 2017, so I made the “Dog” graphics as a tribute and also now to my little dog Angel who just loved being in the teardrop. Most of the summer was spent camping out in the teardrop at home, as for some reason we both sleep better in the teardrop than in the house. It isn’t the flashest little camper out there, but the main thing is that it is fun, always changing when I find something new or different to add, and I get to meet great people and enjoy this great country. BY: Gary Hitchcock PHOTOS: ©2022 Gary Hitchcock Up Up Up Spring 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS I like the open feel of having a large window open to the world. My little teardrop I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939’ so just started with that. he teardroIt has a bit of an old aircraft look to it It isn’t the flashest little camper out there, but the main thing is that it is fun, always changing when I find something new or different to add, and I get to meet great people and enjoy this great country. The feature I like best is the kitchen The main shelf is a fold down one; I put my vintage primus cooker on, with the wash sink. It keeps everything flexible. My little teardrop I always liked the shape of the early teardrops “1939’ so just started with that. 1/3

1 Spring 2022 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival Up Gary Stoneley Kimbolton hosts an annual sculpture festival in April. The outdoor art and sculpture exhibition is accompanied by food, music, and lots of family fun. The most recent festival was in 2021. Fingers crossed for 2023. Sophie Coleman was the ‘Local yokel’ competition winner in 2021 for her Kimbolton Butterfly. The creativity and imagination of the exhibitors is just incredible. What can be made out of what a lot of us see as junk is unbelievable. Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2021. BY: Gary Stoneley The Kimbolton Butterfly My entry for the Kimbolton Sculpture Festival was a monarch butterfly, built to the scale of 25:1. I named my sculpture Ashia, which means life and hope, reflecting the symbolism of a butterfly. The main idea behind my sculpture was to encourage a positive perspective on change and new beginnings. The sculpture transformed items such as corrugated iron, baling twine and an axle, and gave them a new life. It was such a lovely surprise to have received the Local Yokel award for my creation which you had sponsored, so a huge thank you for your continued support of the Kimbolton Sculpture Festival. BY: Sophie Coleman 2023 31 Mar–2 Apr 2023 RSVP: Come and stay with All Points Camping. Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 Photos: ©2022 Gary Stoneley Up Up Up Spring 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS The creativity and imagination of the exhibitors is just incredible. Sophie Coleman & her sculpture Ashia Sophie Coleman was the ‘Local yokel’ competition winner in 2021 for her Kimbolton Butterfly. Ashia The creativity and imagination of the exhibitors is just incredible. What can be made out of what a lot of us see as junk is unbelievable. Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2021. Sophie Coleman & her sculpture Ashia Sophie Coleman was the ‘Local yokel’ competition winner in 2021 for her Kimbolton Butterfly. 1/4

NZ Fun Adventures was pleased to see so many outdoor enthusiasts join with us for this, now annual, event in our events calendar. BUY PDF CONTENTS Spring 2023 ISSUE 5 Up Cooking with fire Jonathan Collins NZ Fun Adventures was pleased to see so many outdoor enthusiasts join with us for this, now annual, event in our events calendar. Cooking with Fire or bbq outdoors was all it took to encourage families, pros and 1st time outdoor cooks to give it a try. We had some of the people camp with us for the weekend as well which is always a great way to get to know people in our group. Our very own celebrity master chef Lance was a great asset to have on site as well to help the cooks expand on their own meals and techniques. We look forward to seeing what everyone brings to the table for the next round. Hit us up on Facebook if you want to know more, and check for new events, there is plenty planned through to the end of the year. Or contact Jonathan Collins who would love to invite you along. NZ Fun Adventures ckw.nz/fb-cookingwithfireoutdoors ckw.nz/fb-nzfacamping Up Up Up So many outdoor enthusiasts Cooking with Fire Cooking 1.webp Cooking 2-F.webp Cooking 1.webp 1/2