3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Our first camper! Anonymous We are thrilled with our Pop Top. Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 41

2 Summer 2022 2 Summer 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption electrics-lithium-rivers_m.webp Lithium-iron batteries in RVs Collyn Rivers Lithium-iron batteries in RVs – they are safe to use. They deliver a lot of energy and pack a lot of power but need specialised knowledge to use safely and reliably. Here’s the how and why for the LiFePO4 (lithium-iron) variety. Collyn Rivers. Read here: ckw.nz/lithium Up Up 2 Summer 2022 , p 23

4 Winter 2023 4 Winter 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Should the NZ tourism ministry should be making decisions for NZ’s recreation campers? 8 degrees of harm Gary Stoneley With change there always consequences. While some changes are positive and beneficial sometimes consequences cause a degree of harm. The recent changes to camping legislation in NZ will have a flow on effect throughout the leisure camping industry and to a large degree there is the potential for significant harm, to society (our supposedly inclusive camping culture) plus economic factors and environmental impact. The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment prepared a ‘limited’ regulatory impact statement, but the impacts of the new legislation cause more than just a small degree of harm. The question must be asked if the NZ tourism ministry should be making decisions for NZ’s recreation campers and why was the recreation minister not involved? How do we unwind the harm that the new law brings? Left Auckland 34 days ago, halfway through my 73 days traveling the South Island. Now in Cromwell then Arrowtown on the weekend. Noticed that it’s getting colder. Now I appreciate my diesel heater. ©2023 Roland Jones 8 Degrees of harm 1 • Perpetuating NIMBYism and the wealth divide Ex-Minister Stuart Nash’s push for greater control over motor vehicle campers in NZ has been led from a tourism-centred point of view. In an attempt to raise the image of tourism in NZ, vehicle campers without onboard toilets, plus responsible campers with portable toilets, have been targeted, without evidence that freedom campers cause any more harm than other recreational users (MBIE 2022, DIA 2016). The Department of Internal Affairs found that media emphasis on ‘freedom campers’ distorted the public view and supported NIMBYism (not in my back yard). This legislation advances the myth that NZers travelling in campers with portable toilets or without onboard toilets are less responsible than those with permanently fitted toilets, even though there is no evidence to support this myth. The economic burden of this act widens the wealth divide leaving behind those using lower-cost campers such as compact campervans, trailer tents, pop-tops, tear-drops, roof-top tents, and older, smaller caravans, while intentionally favouring higher-end camping vehicles, to boost the tourism image, never mind the effect on New Zealanders: this is a tourism initiative that restricts New Zealand citizens. 2 • Mental Health Lake Monowai was quiet and still as if time itself had stopped. We walked some of the easier, pleasant, short paths through the mossy bush. Hug a tree and bring bug repellent. ©2022 Heather Auckram Thousands of NZ campers pack up their vehicle and hit the road, freedom camping on council reserves, for their rest and relaxation. This includes young families with trailer tents, roof top campers and older caravans as well those retired with a small campervan set up with a portable toilet. The changes brought in with this act mean thousands of NZ campers will no longer be able to participate in freedom camping on council controlled land. Thousands of NZers will miss out. The ‘green pill’ of spending mental health time by the sea, or the lake or in the forest, is now reserved for the wealthy but all age groups and income levels are affected by this act. Only those who have a vehicle that is certified as ‘self contained’ according to this new legislation can camp on council land, unless a council designates areas for non self-contained vehicle camping (and for those self-contained campers whose toilet is not screwed to the floor). 3 • Economic cost to consumers On the road in Aotearoa in this beauty. Dunedin to Auckland and back again. © 2022 Lisa Ambrose The cost to thousands of NZ vehicle campers with portable toilets is considerable. Many consumers will be unable to afford them. To continue to be certified, currently ‘certified self contained’ vehicles will be required to upgrade to a permanently fitted toilet. This applies primarily to smaller campervans and older caravans. Retro-fitting can require changes to the vehicle layout including bodywork, which will cost at least $600 and up to $2500. In some cases it won’t be possible and the owner will need to replace the vehicle at a cost of extra thousands of dollars. In addition to retrofit costs are the new fees. The Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board will levy fees on both the certifier (for being a certifier) and the camper (for getting certified). These too are costs many consumers will not be able to afford. Then there are fines. Both freedom camping and, indeed, simply and legally parking, can now lead to fines starting at $400 and as high as $3000. A freedom camping vehicle of any kind, parked anywhere not actually designated for freedom camping (on the street, outside the laundromat or shop) could be considered to be “preparing to freedom camp”. 4 • Economic cost to businesses Rental vehicle operators that have vehicles with portable toilets are faced with either retrofitting their fleet or replacing vehicles. Rental vehicle operators will be required to do this before the 2024/2025 Summer season. Replacing 2000 smaller rental vehicles, at an estimated cost of $70,000 per imported vehicle, could cost the industry more than $140 million over the next 18 months, an inflationary activity at a time when inflation is already high. 5 • Social and economic cost on communities Many councils have received funding to assist with the transition to the required bylaw changes restricting freedom camping access. However the ongoing costs in managing the new regime will be passed on to ratepayers. As a national law with fines for ‘preparing to camp’ it is expected that there will be legal challenges that councils will have to fund. Car camping in Aparima. ©2022 Heather Auckram NZ families have traditionally had social licence to camp on council-controlled land around NZ which is now undermined by this new law which forces additional restrictions on families who enjoy low cost, vehicle-based camping. Parking on council land in a campervan or putting out your chairs for a lunch stop can now be considered preparing to camp and subject to a $400 fine. To “make preparations” to freedom camp, the legislation tells us, means to “park a motor vehicle to use it for freedom camping” (Section 20 2 (b)). It declines to tell either campers or the enforcement officers how they can tell if the vehicle is about to be used for freedom camping, presumably because it is not possible to read minds. 6 • Seasonal employment Thousands of seasonal workers traditionally come to NZ every summer and work in our hospitality and horticulture industries, many buying low cost vehicles to live in, due to the shortage of accommodation. The incentives for them to come and work in NZ and explore the country are now reduced. They might be young, active, energetic and contribute much to our economy, but the new act bars the low-cost, low-footprint vehicles that allow them to explore NZ. 7 • Environment The more people who travel with their own toilet the better for the environment, but the act removes the incentive for leisure campers and travellers with compact or older camping vehicles (e.g. poptops, teardrops and retro caravans) to carry one. The new act encourages, almost requires, the camping industry to move away from compact camping vehicles with a low environmental footprint to larger camping vehicles that use more resources to construct, considerably more fuel to operate and have the potential to cause greater damage to flora and fauna due to size and weight. The larger vehicles also take up more physical and visual space in the environment and at tourism hotspots. 8 • Emergency preparedness Ten hours into a power cut with this cyclone …. then I remembered I've got full batteries in Mavis! ©2023 Cheine Matheson In a country like NZ, being prepared for an emergency is encouraged — those with camping vehicles have an extra degree of preparedness, but this preparedness has been devalued by this legislation. When an emergency hits, those set up for a minimum of 3 days with water and waste facilities (including toilets of any kind) have the resources to quickly adapt and cope, with minimal support. Promoting self containment for vehicle camping with bring-your-own toilets is something that should be encouraged and not discouraged, if for no other reason. The 8th harm: this legislation discourages thousands of NZ campers from being self-contained, that is, able to contain their waste for 3 days in an emergency. Self containment changes in brief Where you can camp with which certificates Until Jun 6 2023 we called the ability to contain your waste for 3 days ‘self-containment.’ Now, its not just being able to contain waste, but also being able to afford an expensive toilet. Up Up 4 Winter 2023 , p 7

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Lake Pukaki September 2024 ©2024 M Richardson I can’t get enough. Lake Pukaki Miriam Richardson Lake Pukaki in winter. I can’t get enough of this place. Freedom camping! ©2024 M Richardson Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 3

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Business services Editor Any relevant business can list here; it is free. Anyone can recommend a business to add to the list. No endorsement is implied. North Island RV and Camper Business Services South Island RV and Camper Business Services These listings are maintained by NZ Lifestyle Camping Ltd. To list your business make a recommendation make a correction or alert them to an error, please email admin@nzlifestylecamping.com Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 33

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Mackenzie Country, winter 2024. Cows crossing the bridge, Ohau B Canal, Mackenzie Country, August. ©2024 M Richardson Roll on summer. Editorial Editor We have had a mild winter, not so good for skiers, but really good for campers, and we head through spring into summer looking at a good forecast ( ckw.nz/niwa-1024 ), with a just a bit of risk of some heavy rainfall events. Cows crossing the bridge, Ohau B Canal, Mackenzie Country, August. ©2024 M Richardson As we continue on our journey towards the new horizon our governments have given us for camping in a Kiwi way, we are buoyed by the ingenuity that is enabling vehicle campers to meet the new self-containment requirements, while tent campers are only now becoming aware how the new law is shrinking their choices. Councils now have to create bylaws if they are to allow non-self-contained camping within their region, and many do not seem to feel any obligation to cater to the needs of tent campers at all. Meanwhile, NZMCA, while rescuing some publicly-owned camping grounds from neglect, is failing to rise to the challenge of supporting all NZ campers, when managing a public facility (more next issue). All Points Camping has a great list of camps coming up (p36), and if you are new to camping, check the ‘soft start’ suggesrtions from their Stop and Stay list (p34). Share your camping stories with us: successes and challenges too— lets keep each other inspired as we explore and enjoy New Zealand. ◼️ Tiaki mai, tiaki atu Miriam Richardson, Editor Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 4

3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption The power of freedom camping bylaws Bette Cosgrove Bylaws differ between regions of Aotearoa New Zealand, and do not exist in almost half of all council districts. Bylaws are created by local authorities — regional and district councils — to manage public land and facilities. Bylaws add to the current Freedom Camping Act 2011, which is the overarching national legislation. Bylaws used to restrict or prohibit freedom camping The Freedom Camping Act gives local authorities the right to manage and control freedom camping in their district. They can prohibit or restrict some areas, but they cannot apply a restriction across a whole region as the intent of the Freedom Camping Act is to make freedom camping a permissible activity. The Act allows authorities 3 reasons for making restrictions: in order to: protect an area; protect the health and safety of people who may visit an area ; or protect access to local authority areas. A bylaw also has to be the most ‘appropriate’ and ‘proportionate’ way of addressing the perceived problem and it must be consistent with the Bill of Rights Act which protects NZers rights and freedom to travel to public areas of our land. http://ckw.nz/bill-rights The Act allows bylaws to be enforceable, with a maximum fine of $200. Of the 68 district & regional councils which have bylaws? 38 have written and notified bylaws which can restrict or prohibit some areas of their public land from freedom campers staying overnight. 62 have allocated some freedom camping sites on public land. -- The other 6 have none, or only paid sites. 30 have no current bylaws, and generally allow freedom camping according to the Act. 31 have areas set aside for ‘non self contained’ freedom camping in a vehicle, but in many cases this means ‘not certified as self contained using the NZ Standard’. 50 councils have guidelines or bylaws restricting camping, -- 43 to ‘certified self contained’ vehicles -- 7 to a ‘self-contained’ vehicle.. 65 councils provide public toilets at campsites. -- 61 have toilets at every freedom camping site; -- 4 have some sites with and some without toilets. 3 councils do not offer freedom camp sites on their managed public land, contravening the Freedom Camping Act . Restricted areas Bylaws can state clearly that people may freedom camp in particular areas, but that there might be restrictions in place. Examples of some restrictions councils use: restricted to self-contained vehicles; restricted to a maximum of three consecutive nights in any four week period; restricted to designated carparks within a particular area; camping in a non-self-contained vehicle or a tent must occur within 100m of a public toilet. Self containment of vehicles as it may be used in bylaws If local authorities restrict freedom camping at a particular site to self-contained camping only, the following definition of self-contained vehicle may be useful: “Self-contained vehicle means a vehicle designed and built for the purpose of camping which has the capability of meeting the ablutionary and sanitary needs of occupants of that vehicle for a minimum of three days without requiring any external services or discharging any waste and complies with New Zealand Standard 5465:2001: Self Containment of Motor Caravans and Caravans, as evidenced by the display of a current self-containment warrant issued under NZS 5465:2001.” From a model bylaw, Local Government NZ Note that “self-contained vehicle” is not defined in the Freedom Camping Act and that this is not the only example of how it may be definedThe NZ Standard 5465 is currently a voluntary standard for self-containment of caravans and campervans, which is not monitored by any government agency or written into any national legislation. You may download one free copy of the standard here: ckw.nz/standard . Compliance to the Standard is not mandatory, although it is not included in current legislation, it is used in some bylaws as a (legal) condition of restriction. The NZ Standard 5465 is included in the new bill before Parliament — the Motor Vehicle Self Containment Legislation — which has not yet passed into law. All information shared here is correct at time of publication, by researching all 68 councils’ published information about Freedom Camping Bylaws or Guidelines See also What’s in a name? If the law changes Waiting on a law change Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 28

6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption tiny-aeropress_mw.webp Coffee while wild camping Outdoorsman Dave How do you prepare your coffee while wild camping? It’s fresh ground beans in an aeropress for me! ©2023 Outdoorsman Dave Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 33

9 Spring 2024 9 Spring 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Game solution Rhonda Marshall Back to the game Up Up 9 Spring 2024 , p 38

1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Whakatane’s McAlister St freedom camping spot: a great example The parks are wide enough for safety, and its easy to turn in and out; Motorhome parks (and non-parks) are clearly marked; There is a large, clear sign; There is a dump station, water, rubbish & recycling bins, and it is walking distance to town; Sadly there are only 5 spaces in the only freedom camping spot in the town. A good cclear sign atWhakatane’s McAlister St freedom camping spot Big enough to read and positioned so you can read as you drive in. Motorhome parks (and non-parks) are clearly marked. Motorhome parks (and non-parks) are clearly marked at Whakatane’s McAlister St freedom camping spot. 2 parks full, 3 parks empty. Here we see a motorhome and a caravan parked, with 3 parks between them. Whakatane’s McAlister St freedom camping spot. The beautiful Tuapiro Reserve in the Bay of Plenty Alternate parking makes for fire safety at Tuapiro Reserve. This photo shows how vehicles have used alternate parks to give each other fire safety. But these campers are vulnerable, as others could park between, too close for safety, and blocking the doors. Tuapiro Reserve A clear map shows where to park A clear map shows where you can park at Tuapiro Reserve. Place. Space. Safety. What makes a great and safe freedom camping space? Miriam Richardson Physical space Turning space to get in and out easily. Room to open doors and put out a step. (BONUS: room for long vehicles.) Safe to park: gaps big enough for gas safety. (3m between vehicles.) Flat (lpg fridges need it flats). Room for all that turn up. Sealed or very firm ground, particularly in winter. Nice to have Close to town amenities — shops, banks, cafes. In or near a recreational area — lakes, walking / bike tracks, pools. Near or with any services: dump station, water, rubbish, toilet, shower, laundry. A fabulous view. Everyone loves a view. It needs a good sign. Hmmm. A good sign? Unambiguous wording. Truly, this is cannot be taken for granted. What kind of camping is allowed. Time restrictions. Where to park (and not park). Any restrictions or special conditions. BONUS: Big enough to read from the drivers’ seat. Whakatane’s McAlister St freedom camping spot: a great example The parks are wide enough for safety, and its easy to turn in and out. Motorhome parks (and non-parks) are clearly marked. There is a large, clear sign. There is a dump station, water, rubbish & recycling bins, and it is walking distance to town. Sadly there are only 5 spaces in the only freedom camping spot in the town. Pretty good view too, for an urban carpark. The beautiful Tuapiro Reserve in the Bay of Plenty Spaces are car-width, a clear map shows where you can park. Its a ovely place to park; plenty of room, great walks and views. This photo shows how vehicles have used alternate parks to give each other fire safety. But these campers are vulnerable, as others could park between, too close for safety, and blocking the doors. BY: Miriam Richardson Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 2

11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Northland fire map Northland fire map Fire map on the website. The rules are different Before you light a fire DOC & NIWA Be aware of the risks of fires in forests, parks and rural areas. The rules are different in these areas compared to living and working in town. ckw.nz/fire-recreational Up-to-date weather observations and forecasts help you determine fire danger and safe behaviour. Check fireweather: fireweather.niwa.co.nz (Shown, below: Northland , 12 Mar) Keep a full bucket of water handy, as well as a fire extinguisher, if you light a fire. Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 25

3 Autumn 2023 3 Autumn 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption A great two weeks at Waihora Domain Linda Butler It was a great two weeks at Waihora Domain in Motukarara. Linda Butler. Photo ©2023 Linda Butler Up Up 3 Autumn 2023 , p 16