Can you take a campervan from North Island to South Island New Zealand?

A common misconception for travellers is that choosing to campervan in NZ is inconvenient because you can't get your campervan from one island to the other. This just isn't the case. At Interislander, we've been helping travellers get their campervan across on a Cook Strait ferry for years for their summer getaway.



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Taking the ferry without a vehicle is the cheapest - and also the most convenient - way of crossing the strait - and if you book with us you will leave your existing rental vehicle at one end, and pick up a new one at the other.

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A campervan trip around New Zealand is not cheap It's not only the rental price but on top of that, the insurance, one-way drop off fee, cost of a campsite each night and compared to a rental car, extra fuel costs. From our experience, the dream of a campervan trip around New Zealand often doesn't live up to reality.

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You can't just park a campervan anywhere you want in New Zealand. There are a number of options for staying overnight in a campervan, including holiday parks and commercial campgrounds, Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites, regional park camping areas, and freedom camping spots.

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Consider the weather Roads in New Zealand are often single lane and windy, so it's important you drive here with extra caution and adjust your speed to the weather conditions. During winter, black ice can be problematic on New Zealand roads. The ice is transparent and almost impossible to spot.

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A Scot has set a new world record for the fastest swim across the Cook Strait - the waters between New Zealand's North and South Islands. Andy Donaldson, 31, swam through the night to complete the 23km route in four hours and 33 minutes. It was the third leg of seven comprising the Oceans Seven challenge.

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Cook Strait can also be one of the world's roughest stretches of water. It's part of the westerly wind belt known as the Roaring Forties. As the only gap between the mountainous main islands of the country, the strait acts like a huge wind tunnel.

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If its your first New Zealand campervan trip 5/6 weeks is perfect to see the main attractions and towns but if we were returning we would plan atleast 2 months in order to enjoy more time in each place rather than a new campsite every night.

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New Zealand's most famous and beautiful ferry route is between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island. The journey between the two islands is commonly referred to as 'crossing the Cook Strait'. The sailing time is around 3.5 hours (weather dependent).

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Almost all holiday parks around New Zealand provide access to hot showers, flush toilets, laundry facilities, lounge areas and communal kitchens. On average, it will cost you about NZ$35-40 per night (for 2 adults) to park your campervan at a powered holiday park site.

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Generally speaking though, as long as you don't leave any rubbish or waste behind, you can camp anywhere as long as there aren't any signs indicating otherwise.

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