New Zealand is a three-hour flight from the east coast of Australia. Fly into Queenstown, Christchurch or Auckland, pick up your campervan, and you’re at the lake, the trailhead or the ski field the same day. Every van comes with unlimited kilometres, 24/7 support and extras like bedding and kitchen kits. See what other travellers say in our New Zealand reviews.
Our Road Trips Itineraries
The national park access argument is the first reason. New Zealand's 13 national parks were not built around proximity to towns with hotel beds. Fiordland, which covers Milford Sound in the southwest of the South Island, has one small town at its edge and nothing inside the park boundary except the road to Milford itself. Aoraki/Mount Cook has a single small village, a DOC campground, and the Hooker Valley Track trailhead. Camping at the base of these parks puts you at the trailheads before the day-trip coaches from Queenstown arrive and keeps you there for the evening light, which at Milford Sound is a different experience entirely from the midday rush.
The one-way hire network is the second reason. New Zealand's two islands are a natural one-way route: Auckland in the north to Queenstown in the south, with the Cook Strait ferry connecting the two midway. Most visitors fly into one city and out of another. A campervan handles that transition without forcing a return journey. Pick up in Auckland, cross from Wellington to Picton on the Interislander, drive the South Island south, and drop off in Queenstown. The geography points in one direction; the hire network is built to follow it.
The camping infrastructure makes the numbers work. The Department of Conservation operates campgrounds throughout the national park network at $15-22 NZD per person per night. The Freedom Camping Act allows self-contained vehicles to camp legally on a significant portion of public land at no cost. Apps like Campermate and the DOC Camping App map legal overnight stops across both islands. A week of DOC campgrounds costs a fraction of what hotel rooms in Queenstown or Auckland run in peak season, and the locations are considerably better.
Three depots that match how people actually travel New Zealand. Auckland covers North Island arrivals. Christchurch covers South Island arrivals and travellers coming south off the Cook Strait ferry. Queenstown is the most common South Island end point, with direct flights to Australian cities and onward international connections. One-way travel between all three depots is supported.
Basic Protection Plan included as standard. Upgrade options are available at booking for fuller coverage.
Flexible cancellation up to 31 days before pick-up without penalty, and book-now-pay-later for booking security without full upfront payment.
The seasons are the same as in Australia, but New Zealand runs a few degrees cooler, especially in the south.
Auckland International Airport (AKL) — approximately 24 km from the Auckland depot
The primary international gateway, with direct connections from London (via various hubs), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, and throughout the Pacific. Best for two-island itineraries starting in the North Island.
Christchurch International Airport (CHC) — approximately 10 km from the Christchurch depot
The South Island's main international hub, with direct connections from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Singapore. The natural arrival point for visitors focusing exclusively on the South Island circuit. The most common one-way: pick up in Christchurch, drop off in Queenstown.
Queenstown Airport (ZQN) — approximately 5 km from the Queenstown depot
Primarily domestic and trans-Tasman (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast). Convenient for travellers connecting through an Australian hub. Best used as a departure airport after completing the South Island route
The minimum age to hire from Indie Campers in New Zealand is 21.
Traffic drives on the LEFT in New Zealand. The steering wheel is on the right. All vehicles are right-hand drive. For drivers accustomed to right-hand traffic (USA, continental Europe), the most common adjustment points are left turns, roundabout navigation, and staying left on rural roads. The first day of driving demands specific attention to these habits.
Speed cameras operate across New Zealand on open roads, in school zones, and on urban arterials. Fixed and mobile cameras both operate throughout the country. Fines scale with speed over the limit.
To freedom camp on council land, your van must be certified self-contained, with a fixed toilet and a green warrant on the windscreen. Rental vehicles have needed one since 7 December 2024. Our vans with a fixed toilet and current warrant can freedom camp where it’s allowed. Other vans need a holiday park or DOC campground.
DOC campgrounds put you right in the national parks for about NZ$15 to NZ$22 a person a night. Holiday parks have powered sites, hot showers and camp kitchens. CamperMate and the DOC app show legal stops on both islands and work offline. Read our guide to the best camping apps for New Zealand.
How much you’ll pay depends on the van, the season and how long you hire for. As a guide, here are our nightly rental prices in Australian dollars:
Winter is May to September, spring and autumn are March, April, October and November, and summer is December to February. Prices are for the vehicle only. Your protection plan, a one-off preparation fee and any extras are added at checkout. Compare our campervans and motorhomes, and check our deals for current offers.
On the ground, budget in NZD for fuel, DOC campgrounds or holiday parks, a Milford Sound cruise (about NZ$80 to NZ$120 per adult) and the Cook Strait ferry if you’re doing both islands.
In general, a special licence is not required to hire our campervans in New Zealand. However, a valid driving licence is required to operate our vehicles. For some non-EU citizens, a IDP is required, in addition to their home country's driver's licence. Other considerations such as a valid vehicle licence to the vehicle type (manual or automatic) will also be required. For more information regarding our licence requirements read this.
Yes, our campervans are pet-friendly. Just make sure to purchase the extra cleaning service during your booking. This service includes professional anti-allergic cleaning after your trip. Please note that only one pet is allowed per motorhome, and it must weigh no more than 30kg. Keep in mind, we are not responsible for any legal fees related to travelling with your pet. For marketplace bookings, check the "vehicle rules" section for the pet-friendly icon to confirm if pets are allowed in that specific vehicle.
The number of people who can sleep in our campervans will depend on the size of the vehicle and the model. In general, our class C motorhome models can sleep up to 4-8 people, whereas our class B motorhomes can sleep up to 2-4. For cars with a rooftop tent, around 2 people can sleep in this vehicles. More details on our models and sleeping capacities can be found here.
If you are travelling in a campervan, motorhome or caravan around New Zealand, it is important to understand official camping rules of the country you are visiting. As natural areas are generally protected by laws, using an official campsite or designated overnight parking area is highly recommended. This helps protect local communities and ensures you can all enjoy safely. Read more safety tips and protocols here.
We offer three protection plans to cover incidents and damages during your hire period. All Indie Campers motorhomes come with insurance for third-party vehicles and property damage (valid insurance will depend on the country). For marketplace vehicles, insurance options may vary based on the host.
Learn more about our protection plans here.
Yes, our search filter allows you to find a campervan near your location using a 60km radius system. This means depending on the location you are searching from, you will be able to find an Indie campervan hire pick-up centre near you.
Yes, a selected number of Indie Campers campervan hire in New Zealand include unlimited kilometres, allowing you to explore freely and make the most of your road trip! Please note that unlimited kilometres applies exclusively to Indie Campers campervans and is subject to responsible use.
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Our Road Trips Itineraries
“Brilliant trip, the roof tent and vehicle had everything we needed for a fantastic road trip. Thank you.”
“Had absolutely no issues whatsoever, everything worked perfectly and was in amazing condition!”
“It was amazing, thanks to the Team for Waiting for is on our arrival day because we had some delays with our flights. Staff was really helpful and caring.”
