Campers say ban would hurt tourism

Freedom campers Nick Bradley and David Turley, of Wiltshire, England, do not believe New Zealand should ban campervans, because the tourism industry would suffer.

They are spending a month driving around New Zealand in a campervan, which they hired from Wicked in Auckland at the start of the month.

They have travelled through the North Island to Wellington, caught the ferry to Picton and driven down the West Coast to spend four nights in Queenstown.

The pair have slept in their van the whole way.

However, they are careful not to leave a mess behind.

"We don't litter.

"We have a bucket in the van that we put all our rubbish in and then chuck it in a skip or bin when we come across one.

"The only mess we leave is from spitting our toothpaste, but that washes away," Mr Turley said.

They use public restrooms and often go to swimming pools to use the showers after a swim.

Mr Turley said the actions of a few freedom campers should not lead to a blanket ban, as promoted by a member of the Otago Conservation Board last week.

"The benefit of hiring a campervan is that you can go where you want, when you want.

If you get an organised tour bus, you have to stay with the group, often a lot of drunk people.

"It's less restricted," Mr Bradley said.

The pair usually park outside town centres, in public car parks or on roadside verges for the night.

"We did park in town but got our windscreen wiper swiped off at Franz Josef," he said.

They have been moved on only once on their travels - in Wanaka by Queenstown Lakes District Council staff.

"We had parked in a car park in the town, but there were lots of drunk people hanging around our van, so we moved it.

"It was really dark and late, so we moved it to a verge that we thought was just a lay-by, but we got woken up at 6 in the morning by the council because it was actually someone's private property," he said.

What the pair have saved on accommodation, they have spent on activities.

"We're doing the whole 'shebang' - a skydive in Taupo, the Nevis Bungy, luging, Shotover Jet, a boat trip - everything," he said.

They will travel back up to Auckland for their flight to Australia at the end of the month.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes said he also did not agree with the call to ban campervans.

"I have no problem with campervans.

"I am asking campervan visitors, particularly those without facilities in vehicles they chose to live in, to please show respect for our environment and that includes not using our public spaces as a toilet," he said.

He would be meeting Westland District Mayor Maureen Pugh this weekend and would raise the freedom-camping issue.

"It was raised at a Local Government level a year ago for Tasman, Buller, Westland and Lakes districts to work together on a common freedom-camping policy.

"That has resurfaced as a distinct possibility.

"I will initiate discussions with those parties in the very near future," he said.

Consistent rules throughout the South Island would give a clear message.

"They are behaving in this country in a way which they would not behave in their own country nor be allowed to.

"It wouldn't be tolerated in their home country," he said.