Driving around in a campervan is easier than you think!
Looking forward to getting on the open road and exploring the sights of Auckland and beyond in your campervan, but worried you’ll be unable to drive it? Don’t worry; the fleet of modern vehicles available on DriveNow are smooth, slick, and surprisingly easy to manoeuver. You’ll get used to cruising around the North Island in no time.
For those travelling from the likes of Australia and the UK driving in New Zealand will feel very much like home with vehicles travelling on the left and like Australia speed limits maxing out at 100kms (around 66mph). Unlike Australia you don’t have to travel too far between destinations and most State highways are made up of undivided roads with less than 500kms of motorway predominately located around cities. But rather than being a drawback, this ensures you get more time in your campervan to experience the beauty and innocence that New Zealand still offers.
Auckland is the perfect launching point to explore the North Island by road. Explore the stunning coastline of the Coromandel Peninsula, 3 hours away on the east coast or head north to the beauty of the Bay of Islands a little over 220kms up State Highway 1, or even go all the way and continue up State 1 to Cape Reinga, the country’s most northern tip (well almost, technically Surville Cliffs 30km to the north east is 3km further north but being off-limits to the public Cape Reinga is the most northerly point for your campervan.
Heading south you’re spoilt for choice with a plethora of National Parks, the mudpools and 30 metre Pohutu Geyser outside Rotorua, Lake Taupo and Hawke’s Bay all just a brief glimpse of what New Zealand’s North Island offers the road traveler.
Where to Park your campervan around Auckland?
Sleep under an uninterrupted blanket of New Zealand stars
The beauty of travelling around New Zealand by campervan is having the freedom to set up camp wherever you like, as long as you’re not trespassing and are respectful of the environment. Freedom camping, as it is known, allows you to wake up each morning in places of unique and magnificent beauty proving that the adventure of the open road in New Zealand is like no place else. For those nights when you want amenities like hot water, washing facilities, and the chance to meet fellow campers; check out these campsites around Auckland.