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Thread: Tourism and Freedom Camping - post Covid

  1. #1
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    Tourism and Freedom Camping - post Covid

    Thought I'd post this here rather than in the Covid section as it's not really about Covid - more Tourism ... and in particular, 'Freedom Camping'.

    I skim read an opinion piece the other day that stuck in my mind. It said that in the reboot of our economy and as part of the rehash of how we do tourism, we should prohibit 'Freedom Camping' to all but NZers wanting to see thier own country.

    I see that these people probably don't bring that much money into the country and probably cause a bit of visual pollution by parking in great spots at no charge. I know that they can 'occupy' parking lots at beaches and similar. On the other hand, some of these people probably also do orchard labouring and similar so are a mobile workforce in the way that Kiwis seem unable to be.

    In my job I do see little clusters of them every day parked up on Marine Parade in Christchurch and while I don't necessarily mind the odd bikini-clad German wanding back to their van from the beach, the sight of thier washing strung between vans in full view of the road is a bit naff.

    Discuss.
    Grow older but never grow up

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    You could offer a bikini drying service... and if you don't have a dryer, just hold the bikini to your face for 1 minute and read the above at them. Sorted
    I didn't think!!! I experimented!!!

  3. #3
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    We are right in the thick of it up here in the Bay of Islands, maybe not quite Queenstown levels, though.

    Over the years my feelings have been for and against battered old vans filled with Euro yoof cluttering up the roads and beachsides.

    Restricting freedom camping to Kiwis only is un-policeable and their have been plenty of ugly incidents in the press caused by nimby's getting pissed off with overcrowding and bad behaviour. Legislation against foreign tourists would probably make matters far worse.

    Some of the worst problems are caused by Kiwis exercising their God given right to holiday at the beach and get wankered every night.

    Financially even the most tight arsed freedom campers - some are card carrying bludgers - still contribute a lot to local economies. It's impossible to move around the country without spending.

    My home town is creating a dedicated area for freedom campers with security lighting, toilets, showers, potty bin etc. This to my mind is the way forward. It's creating work to accomplish, brings in business for our wee highstreet and allows for positive interaction between the locals and tourists. A lot of perceived problems come from visitors just being ignorant of how we roll. Admittedly, some are just arseholes, though very few. Some are just really crap drivers...

    We should take a breath now and look at how the country and communities can accommodate freedom campers with better facilities and areas to stay.
    This is good for Kiwi's, too. Better facilities for us when we do big jaunts on the bikes...
    Manopausal.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by mashman View Post
    You could offer a bikini drying service... and if you don't have a dryer, just hold the bikini to your face for 1 minute and read the above at them. Sorted
    Do they have to remove the bikini?
    Manopausal.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by george formby View Post
    We are right in the thick of it up here in the Bay of Islands, maybe not quite Queenstown levels, though.

    Over the years my feelings have been for and against battered old vans filled with Euro yoof cluttering up the roads and beachsides.

    Restricting freedom camping to Kiwis only is un-policeable and their have been plenty of ugly incidents in the press caused by nimby's getting pissed off with overcrowding and bad behaviour. Legislation against foreign tourists would probably make matters far worse.

    Some of the worst problems are caused by Kiwis exercising their God given right to holiday at the beach and get wankered every night.

    Financially even the most tight arsed freedom campers - some are card carrying bludgers - still contribute a lot to local economies. It's impossible to move around the country without spending.

    My home town is creating a dedicated area for freedom campers with security lighting, toilets, showers, potty bin etc. This to my mind is the way forward. It's creating work to accomplish, brings in business for our wee highstreet and allows for positive interaction between the locals and tourists. A lot of perceived problems come from visitors just being ignorant of how we roll. Admittedly, some are just arseholes, though very few. Some are just really crap drivers...

    We should take a breath now and look at how the country and communities can accommodate freedom campers with better facilities and areas to stay.
    This is good for Kiwi's, too. Better facilities for us when we do big jaunts on the bikes...

    We get shit loads of freedom campers in our distrrict and they spend buggar all.
    Maybe a few noodles at the supermarket and some McDonald's or fish in chips, yet the local ratepayers in the district are the ones who have to pay to clean up their turds and rubbish as they cant spend $20 on a campground or be bothered using the rubbish bins.
    Why should a local community that gets next to nothing out of a freadom camper "have to pay for the free facilities" for them.
    Get rid of the non self contained vans or van for hire or charge the companies clean up fees. At least with the old dunger vans they had to buy them and pay for them to get fixed
    The money freedom campers bring in is restricted to the place where they hire the camper and the airport they arrive in.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katman View Post
    I reminder distinctly .




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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by husaberg View Post
    We get shit loads of freedom campers in our distrrict and they spend buggar all.
    Maybe a few noodles at the supermarket and some McDonald's or fish in chips, yet the local ratepayers in the district are the ones who have to pay to clean up their turds and rubbish as they cant spend $20 on a campground or be bothered using the rubbish bins.
    Why should a local community that gets next to nothing out of a freadom camper "have to pay for the free facilities" for them.
    Get rid of the non self contained vans or van for hire or charge the companies clean up fees. At least with the old dunger vans they had to buy them and pay for them to get fixed
    The money freedom campers bring in is restricted to the place where they hire the camper and the airport they arrive in.
    I've felt this way, too. I also agree that communities should not be footing the bill for ongoing clean up and repair after the wankers have visited.

    Much discussion has been had about legislation, van requirements, costs and surcharges. Issues for a greater mind than mine.

    I guess the attitude here has become one of finding the silver lining and investing a relatively small amount of money to minimise the problems, make it easier to identify the few who abuse our area and get a long term return in the community, even if it is just a tank of gas, pot noodles or visit to the pub while the washing is doing it's thing at the laundrette.

    I can only comment from my local bubble. There may be much bigger issues elsewhere but I doubt heavy handed legislation would have a positive effect.

    Can we add cruise ships and their, alleged, economic contribution to this conversation.....?
    Manopausal.

  7. #7
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    Freedom camping quickly takes on an emotive tone when discussed in a group setting. My first hand experiences with so-called freedom campers are limited, and if those are anything to go by, the stereotype is more or less on point.

    Are freedom campers the fruit pickers the country needs? Don't know, that's a wider topic all in itself.
    From what I've seen so far, not all freedom campers are from another country, even if the media would have us believe otherwise.

    The ability to freedom camp varies around the world, perhaps a revisit of the NZ 2011 Freedom Camping Act to adopt best practice from around the world?
    Reading the Freedom Camping Act 2011 suggests it's fairly robust, so is it just a lack of enforcement causing the bad sentiment?

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    I always get suspicious when there is a "problem" with an onbvious easy solution but nobody attempts to fix it.

    Freedom camper problem because they don't pay? Well then make them pay. Here is an easy fix:

    If you want to freedom camp you need to have a freedom camping sticker on your windscreen. You can buy this at every post office. It is an easy system change of the already existing rego sticker printing. You buy 1, 2, 3 , 6 months etc and you need to show it on your windscreen. If you are a resident you could get that sticker free or at an reduced rate. If you behave like an ar*e your sticker gets taken away from you.

    We do this sort of thing already for people who are allowed to use disabled parking and I believe parking areas for "residents only".

    So where is the problem?

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    Quote Originally Posted by husaberg View Post
    We get shit loads of freedom campers in our distrrict and they spend buggar all.
    Maybe a few noodles at the supermarket and some McDonald's or fish in chips, yet the local ratepayers in the district are the ones who have to pay to clean up their turds and rubbish as they cant spend $20 on a campground or be bothered using the rubbish bins.
    Why should a local community that gets next to nothing out of a freadom camper "have to pay for the free facilities" for them.
    Get rid of the non self contained vans or van for hire or charge the companies clean up fees. At least with the old dunger vans they had to buy them and pay for them to get fixed
    The money freedom campers bring in is restricted to the place where they hire the camper and the airport they arrive in.

    Agree 100%


    Did someone with a brain hack your account and post using your name?
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by BMW_BeMyWings View Post
    I always get suspicious when there is a "problem" with an onbvious easy solution but nobody attempts to fix it.

    Freedom camper problem because they don't pay? Well then make them pay. Here is an easy fix:

    If you want to freedom camp you need to have a freedom camping sticker on your windscreen. You can buy this at every post office. It is an easy system change of the already existing rego sticker printing. You buy 1, 2, 3 , 6 months etc and you need to show it on your windscreen. If you are a resident you could get that sticker free or at an reduced rate. If you behave like an ar*e your sticker gets taken away from you.

    We do this sort of thing already for people who are allowed to use disabled parking and I believe parking areas for "residents only".

    So where is the problem?
    Now don't come on here with your logic and common sense. This is KiwiBiker.

    I agree with what you've said and if perhaps they were only allowed to stay in specific 'freedom camping approved' locations perhaps with toilets that might be OK. Tough on ratepayers in sparsly populated areas like the MacKenzie Basin though. A beautiful area attracting many freedom campers but with only a small pool of ratepayers to pay for their facilities.
    Grow older but never grow up

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BMW_BeMyWings View Post
    I always get suspicious when there is a "problem" with an onbvious easy solution but nobody attempts to fix it.

    Freedom camper problem because they don't pay? Well then make them pay. Here is an easy fix:

    If you want to freedom camp you need to have a freedom camping sticker on your windscreen. You can buy this at every post office. It is an easy system change of the already existing rego sticker printing. You buy 1, 2, 3 , 6 months etc and you need to show it on your windscreen. If you are a resident you could get that sticker free or at an reduced rate. If you behave like an ar*e your sticker gets taken away from you.

    We do this sort of thing already for people who are allowed to use disabled parking and I believe parking areas for "residents only".

    So where is the problem?
    Oh, look. A greater mind than mine.
    Manopausal.

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    Having lived in North Otago for the previous dozen years or so I got to witness a lot of the mess left behind by the "Freedom Crappers" and it's not a pretty sight. One rest area near Lake Dunstan on SH8, the council cleared away 8 ton off rubbish a week, they had to also install extra portaloos to help cope with the load. That is only one site. They are very quick to find areas where they can camp up and not cost anything. A couple of years ago the Dunedin City Council set up some car parks with skips and portaloos for freedom crappers to use, a few months later they said it was a great success and quoted some figures of how much money in total the freedom crappers had spent plus how many nights stayed and how many had used it. A quick calculation and I worked out that each person had spent $30 per night! not exactly a great money spinner.
    As far as seasonal workers go, yes some do do casual work but not like the numbers that use to. I've spoken to some orcharist who say that it is a struggle to get casual labour now and resort to getting Islanders in to do the work. Ten years ago there was plenty of young people willing to work as they had to earn some money so they could continue their travels, but today's freedom crappers, "mummy and daddy" pay for their travels.
    So should freedom crappers be banned? Yes and no, only those with fully self contained motorhomes or caravans can freedom camp, all others, in their shitboxes, must stay in campgrounds and pay for the privilege. All self contained campers must be certified.
    And while we're on the subject, are there too many tourists coming to NZ? We could do what Madagascar does and limit the number allowed each year and make them pay for the privilege.
    This is written by Mr Okey Dokey.

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    When I rode round East Cape at the end of February, the locals were well-represented in tents at many of the spots freedom campers might choose for a stop. National flag up and staring at passers-by. No sign of a problem with freedom campers or anyone else stopping in that area!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oakie View Post
    specific 'freedom camping approved' locations
    Which is a direct contradiction of the term 'freedom camping'.

    It can be frustrating. There is a car park at the local river mouth for people fishing, white baiting, walking their dog, surfing, or other such normal river mouth activities.

    Toilets were installed nearby for people using the coastal walkway and the carpark became populated by freedom campers. This despite the fact that the council owned camping ground complete with all normal amenities is a coupla hundred yards along the beach.

    There has been outraged indignation expressed in the local rag by the usual nimby types, most of whom probably never visit the area. Things have been quiet of late so it might be that some sort of resolution has been reached. Or that the attention has just moved elsewhere?
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    Apparently freedom campers spend millions while here:https://www.odt.co.nz/business/what-...s-are-worth-nz

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