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Free apps to find campsites in New Zealand: for self-contained & non-self-contained

There are so many campsites at amazing places in New Zealand that it can be hard to find 'em all. All free & budget campsites are uploaded into this easy-to-use and free camping & travel app.

  • All campsites suitable for non-self-contained campervans and/or self-contained motorhomes
  • Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites, regional council, commercial and more...
  • See what kind of facilities each campsite has, from showers to a kitchen area and more
  • Read comments from fellow travellers and see how busy a campsite is.
  • Info about the weather, road conditions and more.

Android: Download the free CamperMate app

Apple: Get the free CamperMate app

These free camping & travel apps will make your camping trip a whole lot easier! You'll only need these free camping apps to find all free & budget campsites in New Zealand.... And more, so much more. It really is the best camping app for your road trip in New Zealand and Australia. Yes, our free camping app covers Australia as well.

Message from Space Control about the Spaceships App

Greetings, Intergalactic Travelers! Blast off! On the stardate of 30 September 2023, our trusty Spaceships Camping App will embark on its final voyage and wave goodbye to the Google Play Store and the iOS Starport. During this transition, our cosmic updates will halt, and we urge all astronauts to jettison the app. For a seamless space journey, consider warping over to CamperMate (available for both Android and Apple).

Did you know? Our Spaceships App and CamperMate were always part of the same star cluster, sharing a cosmic database. That's what made our interstellar adventures so epic! But remember, the universe is always expanding and evolving, and so are we.

Fear not, stargazers! CamperMate will persist in its mission, guiding all Space Travellers to the best free & budget campgrounds across New Zealand and Australia's celestial landscapes. Safe travels!

Why the free CamperMate app is the best camping app for you

There are so many reasons why we think our free camping & travel app is the best and easiest app to use on your camping trip in New Zealand.

  • Detailed and up-to-date info about road conditions and road warnings in New Zealand. If there are road closures or issues you'll see it in our app.
  • Where to find petrol stations in New Zealand. All are listed in our app.
  • Supermarkets and grocery stores in your area. No need to drive around endlessly to find a place to stock up on tasty New Zealand food & drinks.
  • Toilets. All public toilets in New Zealand are listed as well.
  • And another important item... Free & paid wifi hotspots throughout New Zealand. No need to use 4G all the time, you can just plan a road trip stop at places that offer free wifi. You'll have all the info you need when you download the free camping & travel app.

 

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Camp at amazing & remote places in NZ

Use these free camping & travel apps to find amazing campsites at awesome places: free & budget campsites! It is the best and easiest way to get off the beaten path.

  • Free & budget campsites for non-self-contained campervans
  • Free & budget campsites for self-contained campervans
  • All campsites in New Zealand and Australia

Download free CamperMate app for Android

Get the free CamperMate app for Apple

Where to find & book DOC campsites?

DOC stands for Department of Conservation. It is an organisation with a super important task: to keep New Zealand beautiful. Or as they say it: "Our vision is for New Zealand to be the greatest living space on Earth"

One of the tasks of DOC New Zealand is running more than 200 campsites throughout the country so everyone can enjoy the beauty of New Zealand from up close. There are different categories of DOC campsites:

  • Basic camps (free campsites) - These campsites have basic toilets and water may be from a tank, stream or lake.
  • Standard campsites - At these campsites, you'll find basic toilets, water supply from tap, stream or lake, wood fireplaces and BBQ’s, cold showers, picnic tables and a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided.
  • Scenic campsites - These campgrounds have a limited range of facilities, such as toilets, water (tap), cold showers, picnic tables, fireplaces and rubbish bins.
  • Serviced Campsites - Flush toilets, tap water, kitchen/cooking bench, hot showers, rubbish collection. Laundry facilities, BBQ’s, fireplaces, cookers and picnic tables may be available.

All these DOC campsites are listed in these free camping & travel apps. Easy as.

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How to find all campsites in New Zealand

DOC campsites are great but there are many more campsites to be found in New Zealand. Campsites that are run by local or regional councils or other organisations. It doesn't matter who runs a campsite or campground, our camping & travel app knows them all.

And if we happen to have missed a particular camping spot, you can easily add it and other travellers will see it as well. Together we create the ultimate camping & travel app. All info is linked to CamperMate as well, we're one big happy travelling family.

Android: Download the free CamperMate app

Apple: Get the free CamperMate app

The best app for your NZ camping trip

These free camping & travel apps for New Zealand and Australia (yes you can use them for your Aussie road trip as well) have been created by travellers for travellers. And as enthusiastic campers ourselves our crew used the app as well when going for a camping trip in New Zealand. So yeah, we are confident to say that this free camping & travel app is the only camping app you will need for your trip.

How can I prevent getting a freedom camping ticket?

You can't just park & spend the night wherever you like in New Zealand. There are rules about where you can camp in New Zealand. You don't want to end up with a costly infringement for camping at the wrong spot.

By using these camping & travel apps you'll know exactly where you can camp with your Spaceships campervan. These camping & travel apps show all campsites that are suitable for you and your non-self-contained or self-contained campervan. It's super easy to filter between non-self-contained only or see campsites that are suitable for all camping vehicles. And yes, these campsites are located in amazing and often remote locations.

You won't be missing out by driving a non-self-contained campervan. There are literally 1000s of amazing free & budget campsites where you can spend the night.

Comparison Spaceships camping app vs CamperMate

We love the CamperMate app. Therefore our camping & travel app is hooked up to the same database. You could say that we are mates as we are working together. Together is better, right? That means that comments & reviews, tips or photos you upload via our app will go into the CamperMate database and vice versa. So why should you download the Spaceships camping app instead of CamperMate?

The Spaceships camping & travel app shows campsites that are suitable for non-self-contained campervans and/or self-contained motorhomes. It shows all the free and budget campsites you can use when exploring New Zealand (or Australia) by Spaceship.

It is easy to select the appropriate campsite category for your type of vehicle: self-contained or non-self-contained, making it super easy to spend the night at the right campsite.

As of 30 September 2023, the separate Spaceships app has merged with the CamperMate app so there now you just need to download CamperMate to get all info about all campsites in New Zealand, for self-contained and non-self-contained campervans.

Why should I download this free camping app?

This free camping & travel app is the best app to use when going on a camping road trip in New Zealand. All the wisdom of our crew and so many travellers have been downloaded and put into one awesome app. Well, that's how it feels when you start using it. This is what you can expect from the app.

  • Find all free & budget campgrounds suitable for you and your Spaceships campervan
  • All the current road warnings, from simple maintenance warnings to road closures
  • See where to find accommodation like hostels, motels, hotels & holiday parks
  • All i-Site locations (tourist information offices) in New Zealand
  • Where to find food & drink establishments in your area
  • Emergency services in the area: police & hospitals
  • Where to find public toilets in New Zealand
  • Supermarkets or grocery stores near you
  • Things to do, based on your geolocation
  • How to find the closest ATM machines
  • Find laundromats in the area
  • Where to find Wi-Fi hotspots

Don't believe us? Download the app, it's free. If you don't like it remove it from your phone. No hard feelings.

Android: Download the free CamperMate app

Apple: Get the free CamperMate app

Bonus: You can use the free camping & travel app in Australia as well. No need to download another app when you continue your #SpaceshipsRoadTrip in Australia, you can use the same camping & travel app. How cool is that?