Heading out on a road trip is perhaps the best way to explore New Zealand and stay safe in a post-pandemic world. Here are some great holiday spots for your next campervan trip.

2020 was a washout when it came to heading outdoors. 2021 still requires us to be careful with our social distancing and masks, but a road trip can certainly be on the cards. Campervans are a great way to get around New Zealand with family or friends and there are several holiday parks close to most of the country’s top tourist attractions, making all the must-see locations easy to access. Pack some good music, facemasks and hand sanitiser and you can be on your way to a well-deserved holiday. To book visit New Zealand’s Wilderness Motorhomes.

Here are the top eight holiday parks across New Zealand to help you get started.

Tapotupotu Camping Ground
Where: Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua and Te Paki Recreation Reserve in the Northland region.
What you should know: Requires a campervan pass. Budget friendly and offers cold showers.
This is New Zealand’s northernmost campsite and lets you visit the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway. Ideal for beach bums who want a clean, quiet beach and lots of opportunities for water sports.

Hahei Holiday Resort
Where: On the Coromandel Coast on the East Coast of North Island.
What you should know: Each campervan site has power, individual water taps from the park’s exclusive spring, a picnic table and a clothesline.

Every campervan that books a spot here is offered a beach front site that overlooks sand dunes and the sea. This beachfront accommodation, within close proximity to Hahei beach, is exactly what you would want from a seaside escape holiday option. You also have a clear view of Mercury Bay.

Piha Domain Holiday Camp
Where: Located in the heart of Piha on Seaview Road.
What you should know: A family-friendly holiday park with hot showers.
This is a massive park and is ideal for families. Both campervan sites and cabins have access to the lagoon and facilities including a children’s playground, tennis courts and bowling greens. If you want to cook something up, use the shared cookhouse kitchen. You can even use one of the coin-operated BBQs. Bathrooms have hot showers and flushing toilets.  All this is just a stone’s throw from Piha beach.

Te Aroha Holiday Park
Where: Stanley Road South, Te Aroha.
What you should know: Access to mineral hot pools, power, table and BBQ.
This is a beautiful holiday park with a rustic touch to it. Besides the lovely views of Mount Te Aroha, after which the park is named, you have access to mineral hot pools that are open through the evenings. Kids have an adventure playground they can tackle. Most of the campervan sites offer power and water. There is also a garden table and BBQ facilities that you can use. For more visit: https://tearohaholidaypark.co.nz/

Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park
Where: Pukuatua Street, Rotorua.
What you should know: Power, communal kitchens, TV and free access to mineral hot pools.
Here is a chance for you to park your campervan right within a geothermal reserve: the Kuirau Park Geothermal Reserve. You can visit the reserve for free and make the most of some of the country’s best geothermal activity and its mud pools. Kids can enjoy themselves at the duck pond and playground. Sites are powered and you have access to a communal kitchen that also has a TV and a fireplace. Best of all, you will be just a kilometre away from Rotorua.

Capital Gateway Motor Inn
Where: Newlands Road, Newlands, Wellington.
What you should know: A wide range of accommodation options and a licensed restaurant.
If you are in the Wellington region, you will find Capital Gateway Motor Inn just over a five-minute drive from Wellington City. It offers guests a wide choice of accommodation options – think studio, executive or suite. Food will not be an issue thanks to the licensed restaurant on the property and a well-stocked bar. It’s a great place to be located to explore Wellington.

Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve
Where: Kaiteriteri-Sandy Bay Road, Kaiteriteri.
What you should know: Power, communal facilities, on-site petrol station.
If you have Abel Tasman National Park lined up for a visit, then Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve is exactly where you’ll want to be parked. It is widely considered a gateway to the national park. You will also enjoy some wonderful views of the Kaiteriteri beach on one side and, on the other, forests and the vast alpines. You can have a meal at the Shoreline restaurant, and you can fuel up the campervan at the on-site petrol station and pick up some snacks for the road from the general store too.

Kaikoura Peketa Beach Holiday Park
Where: Peketa Beach, Kaikoura.
What you should know: Powered sites, hard stands, drinking water.
This is Kaikoura’s only beachfront campervan holiday park and is often the getaway spot for people local to the area. Just a ten-minute drive from Kaikoura, it is an ideal getaway from the usual hustle and bustle of daily life. The beachfront camper sites are powered and on hard stands. Each van has its own picnic table and access to clean and fresh drinking water. You also have the option of other forms of sites, both powered and non-powered.