Best Places to Visit by Campervan in NZ (North & South Island Highlights)

Bay of Islands & Northland – Islands, dolphins and warm bays

The Bay of Islands is classic “holiday New Zealand” – sheltered bays, island cruises and warm swimming spots. Base your campervan in Paihia, Russell or Kerikeri and you’re nicely placed for day trips on the water and short drives to waterfalls, kauri forests and viewpoints.

Boat trips here focus on dolphin and wildlife watching, island stops and swims in sheltered bays. Older “swim with the dolphins” style tours have shifted to more conservation-focused viewing, so think time in the water near beaches rather than jumping in beside the pod.

Holiday parks around Paihia and Russell offer powered sites close to the beach, with easy locations that you can walk to. If you’re doing a Northland loop, the Bay of Islands works well as either your first stop north of Auckland or a relaxed mid-trip pause after Cape Reinga.

 

Waitomo & Waikato – Glowworms and green hills

Waitomo is one of the easiest “wow” stops to plug into a North Island campervan loop. Park up at a local holiday park and you’re a short walk or drive from the famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, where you drift by boat under a ceiling of tiny blue-green lights.

You can keep it gentle with classic cave and boat tours, or go full adventure with black-water rafting and abseiling in nearby cave systems. Either way, you’re close enough to head back to your camper afterwards for a hot shower and a cuppa.

Waitomo also slots neatly between Auckland, Rotorua and Taupō, so it’s a natural add-on if you’re building an inland loop rather than hugging the coast

 

Matamata & Hobbiton – Movie magic in the Waikato

If you’ve got any Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fans on board, Hobbiton Movie Set tends to be non-negotiable. The set sits on a working farm near Matamata, about two hours south of Auckland, and the tours take you right through the green hills, hobbit holes and The Green Dragon Inn you’ve seen on screen.

Hobbiton is the only major Middle-earth set still standing in New Zealand, so this is the place to tick it off. Bookings are essential, and most visitors park the campervan in Matamata or Rotorua for the night and join a timed tour shuttle.

If you’re heading for Rotorua afterwards, Matamata makes an easy overnight stop with a couple of holiday parks and supermarkets to top up supplies.

Image: Tourism New Zealand

 

Rotorua – Geothermal pools, Māori culture and kiwi encounters

Rotorua is one of the best campervan bases in the country: lots of holiday parks, short drives to geothermal areas and lake walks, plus a full line-up of evening experiences.

By day, you can explore colourful geothermal parks with bubbling mud, steaming vents and bright mineral pools – some are self-guided boardwalks, others offer guided tours. In the evening, Te Pā Tū (formerly Tamaki Māori Village) runs a seasonal night experience with kapa haka, storytelling and a forest-pā hākari (feast) that blends hāngī-inspired dishes with modern Māori cuisine.

If you want to see kiwi conservation up close, look at visiting the National Kiwi Hatchery (now at Agrodome).

Most campervan travellers base themselves at one of Rotorua’s lake-edge or central holiday parks and spend 2–3 nights here to fit in geothermal parks, lakeside walks, hot pools and a cultural evening.

 

West Coast Glaciers – Franz Josef & Fox

Driving a campervan down the West Coast feels like a trip through a highlight reel of rivers, rainforest and mountains. Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are the big drawcards, with heli-hike options that fly you up onto the ice for a guided walk through blue crevasses and ice formations.

You’ll find several holiday parks in both Franz Josef and Fox Glacier villages, so it’s easy to park up, join a morning or afternoon flight and still have time for short valley walks or a soak in a local hot pool or spa complex afterwards.

Allow at least two nights on the glacier coast so you have some weather back-up for flights and time to drive slower sections of the coast in daylight.

 

Queenstown – Adventure capital of New Zealand

Queenstown is the classic campervan adventure base: lakeside views, easy day trips and more activities than you can fit in a single visit. Park the van at a local holiday park and you’re a short walk or shuttle from jet boats, gondolas, bars and lakeside walks.

For a hit of adrenaline, Shotover Jet offers high-speed runs through narrow canyons, with spins and cliff-hugging turns that show off just how manoeuvrable the boats are. AJ Hackett Bungy runs the original Kawarau Bungy Bridge plus other sites around Queenstown if you want to tick off a classic leap.

You don’t have to fill every day with big-ticket activities – there are lakeside cycle paths, vineyard trips and mellow half-day walks close to town. Many travellers give Queenstown at least 3 nights so they can mix one or two high-energy days with slower, view-soaking downtime.

 

Fiordland – Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Great Walks

Fiordland feels made for campervans: big scenery by day, quiet campgrounds by night. Most people base themselves in Te Anau for a couple of nights, then add a DOC campsite or holiday park closer to Milford if they want to cut down on the driving day.

Milford Sound is the easiest fiord to reach by road, with regular daytime cruises and shorter nature walks along the Milford Road. Doubtful Sound is wilder and more remote – you reach it via a cruise across Lake Manapouri and a coach ride over Wilmot Pass, then join a boat on the fiord itself. That extra step is part of the appeal and keeps it feeling more tucked away.

If you’d like a taste of one of New Zealand’s Great Walks without committing to the full multi-day trip, Great Walk operators offer guided Milford Track or nearby day walks that start and finish in Te Anau. At the end of the day, you’re back at your camper with everything in one place.

 

Kaikōura – Whales, albatross and mountain-to-sea views

Kaikōura is where New Zealand’s mountains meet the sea, and just offshore, a deep ocean canyon attracts an incredible amount of marine life. Park up at a local holiday park or beachfront camp, and you’re minutes from the harbour for whale watching tours.

Whale Watch Kaikōura is New Zealand’s only dedicated vessel-based whale watching company, taking guests out to see giant sperm whales and other marine life year-round. They usually see whales on about 95% of tours and offer an 80% refund if no whales are sighted, which is a nice bit of reassurance if you’re watching your budget.

Between boat trips, you can walk the Kaikōura Peninsula Track for sea-cliff views, visit seal colonies or grab fish and chips by the water. Kaikōura works well as a stop between Picton and Christchurch on a South Island loop, or as a mini-break out of Christchurch in its own right.

 

Putting it together: how to get to these campervan highlights

You won’t see every place on this list in one go, so start by picking one island and a rough time frame, then use one of our existing itineraries as your backbone. From there, you can plug in the adventures that feel most like you – glowworm caves, fiords, glaciers, whales or big-ticket activities.

 

A few easy starting points:

1. 14 Day North Island Itinerary: a classic loop that naturally picks up Hobbiton, Rotorua, Waitomo and plenty of beach and lake time.

2. Cape Egmont Half Marathon Campervan Adventure: a shorter Taranaki-focused trip that shows how to wrap a roadie around a single event or region.

3. South Island with Kids: family-friendly South Island highlights with shorter driving days, great if you want lakes, wildlife and gentle walks without rushing.

4. 14 Day South Island Motorhome Itinerary: a slower-paced South Island circuit with hot pools, lakes and big scenery that works well for “recharge and relax” after big activities like marathons.

Pick the route that fits your style, then drop in the specific activities and side trips from this list where they line up, and leave a couple of days free for the places you decide to linger in a little longer. You can also find more itineraries to inspire your campervan adventure here!

 

FAQs and quick answers

1. Is New Zealand good to explore by campervan?
   Yes – the distances between major highlights are very manageable, there’s a good spread of holiday parks and DOC camps, and many of the “big” experiences (like glowworm caves, glaciers and fiords) are easily reached on sealed roads in a standard campervan.

2. How long do I need to see the main highlights in a campervan?
   If you want to focus on one island, 10–14 days gives you time to visit 3–4 key regions without rushing. For a combined North and South Island campervan trip, 3-4 weeks feels much more relaxed.

3. Is it better to visit the North Island or the South Island first?
   Both work well in a campervan. The North Island leans more towards beaches, geothermal areas and Māori culture, while the South Island gives you bigger mountains, glaciers and fiords. If it’s your first trip and you love alpine scenery, most people start south.

4. Do I need to book activities in advance?
   For popular experiences like Hobbiton tours, whale watching in Kaikōura, heli-hikes on the glaciers and peak-season fiord cruises. It’s smart to book ahead, especially in school holidays and summer. More flexible, weather-dependent things can often be booked a day or two ahead once you see the forecast.

5. Can I freedom camp near these places?
   Freedom camping rules vary by council, and many popular spots now require you to use official campgrounds or holiday parks, especially if your campervan isn’t certified self-contained. Always follow local signs and use up-to-date camping apps to find legal overnight options.

6. Where can I pick up a campervan for these routes?
   Most visitors pick up their campervan in Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown, then either do a loop back to the same branch or a one-way trip between islands with a ferry crossing in between.

 

Ready to explore New Zealand by campervan?

From glowworm caves and geothermal valleys to glacier country, fiords and island-studded bays, these places are made for campervan travel. You can wake up by a lake, spend the day on a cruise or a trail, then roll a little further down the road to your next campsite – all at your own pace.

Choose a Britz campervan from Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown, check the latest campervan hire deals, and start sketching a route that links the spots that excite you most. With your bed, kitchen and gear on board, the only real question is which New Zealand view you want to wake up to first!