If you learned everything about #vanlife and freedom camping on social media, you might think it’s completely normal to see women in tight yoga pants stretching by their vehicles, or men with hipster beards grinning at a coffee machine they made from bamboo. Unsurprisingly, such ideals are often unrealistic. Here are some of the most glaring rifts between vanlife expectation vs reality for freedom camping in New Zealand.

Expectation: Travelling for weeks will be cheap-as, because freedom camping is ‘free’

It’s in the name. Freedom camping, right? Well, it’s true that if your campervan is certified, you can stay at certain camping areas overnight without cost. So, you save yourself $15 – $40 per night. Which is great! But…

Reality

Freedom camping incurs many unexpected costs. Petrol is a biggie. Vans tend to be gas guzzlers, and petrol in NZ is expensive. If you’re driving for >6hrs, don’t be surprised if it costs you upwards of $100. If you’re doing ‘vanlife’ long term, it can be more cost-effective to drive as little as possible and explore on foot, bus or bike. As well as being more enviro-friendly, it will also save you money.

Expectation: Stunning scenery out every window

Mountains, romantic sunsets, and beach waves… Instagram is full of it: travellers doing vanlife in paradise. One minute, they’re having picnic brunch by a stunning lake, in the next they’ve parked outside an Italian cafe with flowerpots on the windowsill

Reality

We’re lucky in New Zealand in that there are plenty of scenic places you can visit during the day. But most campsites, both free and paid, leave a lot to be desired – and pretty vistas can be the exception rather than the rule.

Expectation: you’ll make friends with plenty of like-minded travellers

One of the joys of travel is making connections with people from across the globe. You want to learn about different cultures, and gain advice on where to go and what to do. Perhaps you picture lazing back into the camping chair as you play card games with fellow nomads under the sun, drink in hand. Or at least, that’s what you hope.

Reality

Although there are exceptions, freedom campers often keep to themselves. People are here one day and gone the next, so you need to make an effort to go above and beyond polite small talk, campground gossip and FAQs like ‘do you know where the toilet is?’ But this doesn’t mean you won’t make new friends on the way… although they might not be human.

Expectation: woodfires and delicious camping tucker

Fancy a heartwarming stew cooked over an open fire? Or how about stoking up the barbeque for a delicious grill that you can share in the company of your friends?

Reality

After a while, setting up the entire camp kitchen every day grows tiresome. Particularly if you’re solo and don’t need to impress anyone. Either that or the weather turns bad and stops you from cooking outside. Understandably, open fires are also banned in certain regions during summer due to the fire risk.

Expectation: places you can enjoy all to yourself

In New Zealand, we’re lucky enough to have wilderness areas that are virtually untouched by humans. You might want to go freedom camping to discover stunning places and reconnect with nature. Picture nothing but the mountains around you! Who needs neighbours?

Reality

During the summer season, be prepared to turn up at most freedom camping sites and find them chocker-block. I’d also recommend ear-plugs.

Expectation: you’ll get closer to nature

Imagine being woken up by the beautiful trills of a tui, and falling asleep to the gentle crash of waves. We all love scoring a pleasant, private campsite – that’s the whole point of camping. You can relax, unwind, and escape day-to-day hassles.

Reality

I’ve got to agree with this one! A kiwi is unlikely to walk out of suburbia. But if you’re in a national park, there’s not many other tourists, and luck is on your side, you can be pleasantly surprised! Robins and fantails are naturally curious of humans and often fly over for a cheeky look. Seagulls and weka will also pay you a visit… for different reasons 🙂

Conclusion

While vanlife camping doesn’t always match the fantasy portrayed on social media, ultimately, your ‘vanlife’ experience is what you make of it. There’s nothing more exhilarating than the sense of exploration, of speeding into yawning skies and watching mountains rise up before you.

I’ve had tremendous times on the road- some of the best times of my life. I wouldn’t swap those memories for all the saturated sunsets and Instagram smiles in the world.

Wait, there’s more to it…

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on vanlife expectation vs reality!
To be fair, there are LOTS of pros to campervan travel in NZ. Learn more about the top 4 benefits here.

Searching for your dream campervan? You’d better know the key questions to ask before you buy!

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