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- ruataniwha
7 Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024 ISSUE 7 BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Home for the next few weeks. Ruataniwha Conservation Park ©2024 Tony Kissel A swallows nest in the shelter, cute aren’t they? ©2024 Tony Kissel Fresh dusting of snow on the Ben Ohau Range this morning (11 Feb). All gone by lunchtime. ©2024 Tony Kissel Home for the next few weeks Tony Kissell Ruataniwha Conservation Park. GO TO Celebrating Summer DOC camp. Not currently affected by law changes. Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 13 ISSN 2815-827X (Online) | ISSN:2815-8261 (Print) ISSUE 4 editor@campingthekiwiway.org
- fc-need-to-know
11 autumn 2025 Autumn 2025 ISSUE 11 BUY PDF ToC Click on image for full view and caption Free camp on Lake Dunstan. ©2025 M Richardson freecamp_MNR_0430.webp ©2025 M Richardson GO TO Here & there last summer Transitioning to the new laws Freedom camping: need to know, 2025 Miriam Richardson New law The national laws about freedom camping changed in 2023. The law applies to all public lands in the whole country, within 200m of a ‘road’. Every statement you make about the new law requires some buts and ifs . but: ‘all public land’ means land managed by district and local councils which can include land otherwise controlled by NZTA, LINZ or DOC. ‘Freedom camping’ means: “… to camp (other than at a camping ground) within 200 m of an area accessible by motor vehicle or within 200 m of the mean low-water springs line of any sea or harbour, or on or within 200 m of a formed road or a Great Walks Track, using either or both of the following: (a) a tent or other temporary structure: (b) a motor vehicle.” ckw.nz/FC-law Must be certified self-contained Everyone freedom camping must be certified self-contained (but: DOC, LINZ or local councils can, if they want to, designate places where those not-self-contained can camp). There is now an online national register of all new ‘green’ warrants. This can be checked by enforcement officers. (but: They are called ‘green’ warrants because the new cards are green; nothing to do with the environment.)(but: Some new warrant cards don’t stay green, they turn red due to inferior quality cards.) For both green and blue warrants you have to carry the actual certificate. There is now a national regulator to handle complaints about anything self-contained (but: not for the old blue card system).The Plumbers and Gasfitters Board (PGDB) has been tasked with administering the new regulations. There is now a levy you pay the government, to help pay for the new system when you get or renew a ‘green’ warrant. Currently it is $120. Transition period We are in a transition period from the old definitions of self-contained to the new. For freedom camping, all hire vehicles must already comply with the new rules. For private vehicles we have until June 2026 to transition to the new ‘green’ system. See p2 for the complete list of self-containment cards that comply during this transition. Stickers entitle campers to nothing, they are just advertising. You must have and display a valid warrant card (blue or green) and have the certificate with you. Fixed toilets The new system irrationally requires a toilet that is fixed in the vehicle. There are several mechanisms for fixing previously portable toilets in ways that meet the new regulations. This is a source of debate amongst the people who do the certification and on social media. The certifier has the final say, and PGDB has the job of addressing any complaints. Enforcement The national laws apply through the whole country, and local areas can make bylaws to restrict or ban freedom camping at some places. There is debate about how much and what kind of restricting they can do. Local areas can enforce the national laws and their local bylaws, and collect fines. Some are doing this, some are not. Some are doing it in certain places but not everywhere. There is no consistency: you have to check the local area websites and consult local signs (and hope for the best). Enforcement officers must carry id (you can ask to see it), and can inspect your warrant cards in the window, and your warrant certificate (but: not always), they can move you on (but: only sometimes). They cannot inspect your vehicle, out or in (but: Kaikoura thinks they can). There are commonsense laws and fines for things like discharging waste, but there are now other, less obvious offences such as ‘preparing to freedom camp’ (defined as parking in the wrong place/time), impeding or getting upset with enforcement officers (eg., abusive language, intimidation), displaying fraudulent warrant cards, refusing or giving misleading/false information. Penalties include being fined ($400 to $3,000) or having your vehicle impounded. Infringement notices only have to be sent — you are in trouble even if you don’t know and never receive them. Councils may waive fines if they choose, and the courts are the final arbiter of justice about penalties. Homelessness The homeless are not restricted by freedom camping laws or bylaws. Each council decides how to define ‘homeless’. Self-containment warrant cards: Which ones are good for what? Get your vehicle self-contained Official information from PGDB Up Up 11 Autumn 2025 , p 2
- Issue 5, A Classic
Geraldine Classic Caravan Club BUY PDF CONTENTS Spring 2023 ISSUE 5 Up A Classic Gary Hitchcock Geraldine Classic Caravan Club ©2023 Gary Hitchcock Up Up Up Classic Click on the gallery for a full size view Geraldine Classic Caravan Club ©2023 Gary Hitchcock Geraldine Classic Caravan Club ©2023 Gary Hitchcock Geraldine Classic Caravan Club ©2023 Gary Hitchcock Geraldine Classic Caravan Club ©2023 Gary Hitchcock 1/4
- tips-cold
1 Spring 2022 TIPS for the cold Up Ian Ganderson Spring still sends cold weather our way. Consider these winter tips, and don’t be daunted. Camping in the winter (tent or van) needs to be pretty organised and good gear is needed. I do most things, from being out and about in my van to tramping and snow-holeing. Your sleep system needs to be up to the job. I’ve used the word ‘system’ on purpose. You will need to keep everything organised to minimise things getting wet and water/rain/snow getting in. It’s a game of small gains. Lots of small gains add up to keep you warm and snug. You are going to need a good plan to deal with wet clothes and gear. There will be lots of it. You are going to need good waterproofs and good insulating layers. Moisture in all its forms is the enemy of feeling warm. Ventilate and air out in the sun your sleep system whenever you get the chance. Insulation in vans is primarily for reducing condensation. It certainly helps keeping things warm too. I’ve made 10mm foam insulated window covers from KMart camping mats and some suckers I found at an RV centre. They work really well. Don’t block up all your vents. Some air flow is required to let the humid air you breath out to escape. Worst case scenario is carbon monoxide poisoning, of course: get a CO alarm. In the winter the risk is significantly higher. Thermal underwear makes for super great pyjamas. Ditch the cotton, it will hold onto any dampness. BY: Ian Ganderson Photo: Mavora Lakes, ©2022 Daniel Munro Up Up Up Spring 2022 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS You are going to need a good plan to deal with wet clothes and gear. There will be lots of it. Mavora in Winter ©2022 Mavora in Winter ©2022 1/1
- seventh-week
1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Seventh week on the road Seventh week Lisa Ambrose Seventh week on the road in Aotearoa in this beauty. Dunedin to Auckland and back again. Lisa Ambrose. Photos ©2022 Lisa Ambrose. Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 11
- coleman
7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Coleman model 1 stove. 100 years old and still works like it should… Coleman model 1 stove. © 2024 Mel Taylor, Camping / Hiking : Pots, Stoves and Other Implements of Outdoor Cooking Facebook 100 years old and still works like it should Mel Taylor 100 years old and still works like it should… Coleman model 1 stove. © 2024 Mel Taylor, Camping / Hiking : Pots, Stoves and Other Implements of Outdoor Cooking Facebook Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 33
- enforcement
7 Autumn 2024 7 Autumn 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Tent camping alongside beach, outside designated ares. Camped responsibly all night. Left no trace. Left site 6am. ©2024 Bette Cosgrove infringement fees/fines are $400 up to $10,000 Enforcement of freedom camping rules Miriam Richardson This is ordinary language and guidance only. Check the legislation yourself for the precise wording and detail† . Offences to avoid when freedom camping These offences are in Freedom Camping Act 2011, Offences Part 3, Sections 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20F, 20G and the infringement fees/fines are $400 up to $10,000. Camping where it is not allowed. Not having a valid warrant. Not displaying a valid warrant. Having more people than the vehicle is certified for. Display or present an altered or fraudulent warrant or self-containment certificate to an enforcement officer. Make preparation to freedom camp (“park a motor vehicle” or “erect a tent” “to use it for freedom camping”), where it is not allowed, or with too many people. Refuse to leave an area when told to by an enforcement officer (see next column). Refuse to give, or give false or misleading information to an enforcement officer (see next column). Bad behaviour towards an enforcement officer: prevent, impede, threaten, intimidate, use abusive or threatening language, or behave in a threatening manner (penalty up to $5k). Interfere with /damage the environment while camping. Deposit waste, not in a ‘proper receptacle’. Discharge “noxious, dangerous, offensive” substances that cause “a significant concern to” residents, people living nearby, or other users of the area (penalty up to $10k). Who has to pay Freedom Camping Act 2011, Section 26 Any or all of the following: The person committing the offence. The registered owner of the vehicle. The person legally entitled to be in charge of, or the person using , the vehicle. Knowing or not knowing you have been ‘infringed’ Freedom Camping Act 2011, Section 27 You may never know... .... you have been issued an infringement, and you might never receive it. These notices can be handed to you, attached to the vehicle, emailed, posted to the last known address of the person, or posted to the registered vehicle owner’s address. Any email delivery problems, out of date postal addresses, having no access to a postal address, not being the person who committed the offence (eg the vehicle owner rather than the camper), makes no difference: you are deemed to have been served. When the officer presses the email ‘send’ button, the email is considered properly delivered to you. When the normal postal delivery time has passed (anyone’s guess how long that is nowadays!), anything posted is considered delivered to you. What information must enforcement officers give? Freedom Camping Act 2011, Section 34 They must show evidence of appointment, if you ask . It must show their responsibilities and powers and the offences they have been appointed to monitor. The must tell you, if you ask, what offence they believe you have committed (or are committing), if they ask for personal details. What information are you required to give? Freedom Camping Act 2011, Section 35 Personal information You must give your full name, date of birth, full address, email address, telephone number, and occupation, IF an enforcement officer believes, on reasonable grounds , that you have committed or are committing an offence. If you are asked for personal information you are entitled to ask what the offence is that the officer believes you have committed (or are committing) and the response must be reasonable. You must also give personal details for, and the whereabouts of, any other person, connected in any way with the alleged offence (penalty up to $3k). Self-containment certificate You must produce the self-containment certificate, if asked, but they can only ask IF the enforcement officer believes, on reasonable grounds, you have committed or are committing an offence by camping or preparing to camp where not permitted. They have no right to inspect the vehicle. We have reports that enforcement officers in Kaikoura are being encouraged to do this, regardless of its illegality. See p18. You can be required to leave Freedom Camping Act 2011, Section 36 Enforcement officers may require you to leave an area, but they must believe, on reasonable grounds , you are committing (or have committed) an offence. Impounding things Freedom Camping Act 2011, Section 37 & 38 Enforcement officers may seize and impound a motor vehicle or any kind of unit associated with a vehicle that can be used for camping (eg., caravan, poptop, teardrop, rooftop tent) (or a boat), if it is being used (or has been used) to commit an offence and it is “reasonable in the circumstances”. What counts as “reasonable”? The Act give some requirements: if “it is necessary” to protect health, safety, the environment, or to maintain access to an area. But, even if none of those things are true, if it “is, in the circumstances, the most appropriate action to prevent the ongoing commission of the offence.” Before impounding, the officer must: tell the person to stop committing the offence, advise them that impounding is on the cards, give them “a reasonable opportunity to stop committing the offence”. To get your vehicle back you have to: Convince them you aren’t going to commit the offence again. Pay for all the cost of the seizing, impounding, storing. You also have to pay any penalties/fines related to the offence that initiated the impounding. If your vehicle is damaged in the process of impounding, the cost is yours unless they were unreasonably careless. If you haven’t got your vehicle back within 6 months, they can dispose of it. † Check the law yourself: ckw.nz/FC-law Articles in this issue on the freedom camping law changes: Predictable problems with the new CSC green warrant system (p2) Editorial (p3) Self-containment warrant cards: Which one is yours? (p6) So you want to freedom camp (p8) What is ‘self-contained’, anyway? (p10) Enforcement of freedom camping rules (p12) I am not freedom camping' cards (p14) Do your bit: Task of the week (p16) No more freedom camping (p16) Kaikōura: the freedom camping Wild West (p18) Hey NZ Govt? You are messing with my mental health (p20) 7 days a week (p21) Celebrating Summer (p5) Up Up 7 Autumn 2024 , p 12
- kea-attack
10 summer 2024 10 summer 2024 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption tell-tale signs of a kea attack Kea attack Tony Kissel Setting up my tent this weekend I noticed about a dozen little holes in the roof. Then I remembered the last time I was up this way I was visited by a kea, on closer inspection there were the tell-tail signs of a kea attack. Fortunately I had a tiny amount of fabric glue in an Exped air mattress repair kit which was enough to fill the holes until a proper repair can be made. ◊ ©2024 Tony Kissell Up Up 10 summer 2024 , p 17
- advertising
1 Spring 2022 1 Spring 2022 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Advertising Editor Your advertisement on these pages? 1 page $180 1/2 page $100 1/3 page $70 (1 column) 1/4 page $60 Book your space now and provide the ad by 1 NOV for the Summer issue. Detail: ckw.nz/advertising editor@campingthekiwiway.org Up Up 1 Spring 2022 , p 42
- fire-blankets
6 Summer 2023 6 Summer 2023 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption fire-blanket_mw.webp Fire blankets Fire and Emergency New Zealand Fire blankets are useful for covering cooking related fires, and for wrapping around a person to smother a clothing fire . Fire blankets are made of fabrics that are fire resistant and can be purchased at most hardware stores. Store fire blankets in a location close to your kitchen. Fire blankets can usually be bought from your local hardware store. Source: ckw.nz/fire-blankets © Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND) More: Caravan fire safety More: Lithium-ion battery safety More: Do you need a permit for your BBQ? (Gas & charcoal) Up Up 6 Summer 2023 , p 14
- thermette
11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Thermettes in the morning are a great way heat water for coffee and start a toast. ©2025 Graham Leslie Thermettes in the morning are a great way heat water for coffee and start a toast. ©2025 Graham Leslie How to use a thermette a great way to boil water and an \easy way to start a fire A good day’s camping starts with a thermette Graham Leslie A good day’s camping starts using a thermette to boil the water for coffee and for its small fire to then make toast. A thermette is not only a great way to boil water, but it is also a really easy way to start a fire. A thermette is essentially a kettle with a chimney up the middle of it. The advantage is its internal cone chimney shape makes a natural heat updraft to promote the starting of a fire and also it quickly heats the water in the thermette. To use your thermette Stuff some scrunched up newspaper in the separate base compartment that comes with the thermette. Orientate the side vent of the base to catch the breeze. Place the water-filled thermette on top of the base. Drop twigs down the thermette’s chimney and light it. Add more twigs as they burn. This is the easiest way to light a fire in the morning. Once the thermette water boils (indicated by boiling water bubbling out the filler hole) lift the thermette off its base and away from the fire. Lift the base away with a stick leaving a small fire to use to make toast. Add some more wood to your fire as required and if you have a rack (maybe an old oven rack) balance it over the fire on three or four rocks and you are ready to place your bread on the rack to make toast while you enjoy your first coffee of the day. Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 25
- not-flat
11 autumn 2025 11 autumn 2025 BUY AUTHOR INDEX AUTHORS Click on image for full view and caption Parked at Pines, Lake Pukaki Many not to be missed places are far from flat. ©2025 M Richardson Mt Cook. Lake Pukaki Many not to be missed places are far from flat. Mt ©2025 M Richardson Far from flat M Richardson Many not-to-be-missed freedom camping spots are far from flat. Pines, Lake Pukaki. ©2019 M Richardson. Up Up 11 autumn 2025 , p 13











