Freedom campers
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="562494" data-time="1457127442"><p>
This seems to be the problem. Councils allow freedom camping but don't provide anything in the way of facilities.</p></blockquote>
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Until recently it wasn't an issue . Replace thd word council with ratepayers and you see the real issue. Ratepayers don't provide enough facilities for freedom campers, so ratepayers should fork out to provide more toilets for people to stay in their town and contribute nothing. That doesn't sound like a fair deal to me. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="562498" data-time="1457128499">
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<p>Until recently it wasn't an issue . Replace thd word council with ratepayers and you see the real issue. Ratepayers don't provide enough facilities for freedom campers, so ratepayers should fork out to provide more toilets for people to stay in their town and contribute nothing. That doesn't sound like a fair deal to me.</p>
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<p>And worse, some of those ratepayers will be in the holiday accommodation business themselves, whether they own them or make a living from working there. If I owned a campground I'd be pretty pissed off if my rates were being used to fund facilities that actively drew people away from by business.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Godder" data-cid="562502" data-time="1457129889"><p>Classic freeloading behaviour. Having said that, even freedom campers pay GST, immigration fees and levies and border levies, so maybe central government can stump up a bit.</p></blockquote>
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Stump up on what? We shouldn't be encouraging this type of tourist at all , their contribution is minimal. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="562500" data-time="1457129174"><p>And worse, some of those ratepayers will be in the holiday accommodation business themselves, whether they own them or make a living from working there. If I owned a campground I'd be pretty pissed off if my rates were being used to fund facilities that actively drew people away from by business.</p></blockquote>
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Good point , I'd be furious if I owned a campground and was expected to support these freeloaders through extra rates. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="562503" data-time="1457130084"><p>
Stump up on what? We shouldn't be encouraging this type of tourist at all , their contribution is minimal.</p></blockquote><br>
Yep, to roughly borrow an angle from Sir Paul Callaghan, more tourists being good doesn't mean that we need ten times the number of people walking the Milford track/Tongariro Crossing either. Somewhere there's got to be a balance between volume and value, yet without chasing away the 'young now but in future more wealthy' MajorRage type tourists who do actually clean up after themselves. -
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="562505" data-time="1457130160"><p>Good point , I'd be furious if I owned a campground and was expected to support these freeloaders through extra rates.</p></blockquote>
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These campground owners are in the prime position to benefit from these travellers but have not adjusted their business models to suit. <br>
I stayed at a campground just north of Gisborne this summer that charged $40 for us to set up on a non powered site. The toilet and shower facilities were extremely basic and the kitchen like something cobbled together with spare parts and held together by flies. <br>
The was basically no advantage staying there over a free camping area. <br>
There is actually a good argument for central govt planning and involvement here. Many of these tourists take money into areas of the country that locals don't. <br>
I don't condone the bad ones at all and agree with Mokey on dealing with them. I just think plenty of good ones are getting a bad rap as well and the whole situation could be handled better to mutual benefit. -
<p>Interesting how quickly attitudes change, I was at Carters yesterday and two very hot female tourists came in asking where they could buy foam. Instantly everyone was offering helpful suggestions and someone asked if they it was for a bed in the back of their people mover and one of them giggled and said they were freedom camping, all the guys in the room were saying how cool they thought freedom camping was and hoped they were having a good time and if they followed their car he would direct them to the nearest Spotlight where they could buy foam.</p>
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<p>I imagine to male german backpackers would have got a very very different response.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="562524" data-time="1457145380">
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<p>These campground owners are in the prime position to benefit from these travellers but have not adjusted their business models to suit.<br>
I stayed at a campground just north of Gisborne this summer that charged $40 for us to set up on a non powered site. The toilet and shower facilities were extremely basic and the kitchen like something cobbled together with spare parts and held together by flies.<br>
The was basically no advantage staying there over a free camping area.<br>
There is actually a good argument for central govt planning and involvement here. Many of these tourists take money into areas of the country that locals don't.<br>
I don't condone the bad ones at all and agree with Mokey on dealing with them. I just think plenty of good ones are getting a bad rap as well and the whole situation could be handled better to mutual benefit.</p>
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<p>I was at Tolaga bay at the same time as you and was impressed by those people camping on the roadside, they'd bought their own portaloos etc in accordance with the signs that were placed around the area. I didn't really have a look at the motor camp but if I was a backpacker the safety aspect of being in one would outwiegh the cost of staying there, theres been a few of these people attacked when they camped off the beaten track.</p> -
<p>I have to declare my stupidity here I thought freedom camping was when you went hiking and just set up a tent in the bush somewhere rather then stay in a hut. </p>
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<p>So people drive around in vans and sleep in the back? How scenic is the average car park in NZ these days?</p>
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<p>Mooshld</p> -
<p>I must confess I laugh my fcuking ar$e off every time I see someone complain about campers coming over here and making a mess.</p>
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<p>People have no idea what kiwis are like in europe.. am going to throw out there that they're a shedload worse.</p>
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<p>here's an example from a 'freedom' camping site in germany...</p>
<p>[attachment=1997:MOre Carnage.jpg]</p> -
<p>Looks to me like gypsies have stolen someone poor Kiwi's motorhome. ;)</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="WillieTheWaiter" data-cid="566301" data-time="1458530176">
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<p>I must confess I laugh my fcuking ar$e off every time I see someone complain about campers coming over here and making a mess.</p>
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<p>People have no idea what kiwis are like in europe.. am going to throw out there that they're a shedload worse.</p>
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<p>here's an example from a 'freedom' camping site in germany...</p>
<p><img src="http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_images/master/attachicon.gif" alt="attachicon.gif"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=1997'>MOre Carnage.jpg</a></p>
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<p>If you look carefully, you can see Mooloo jersies and empty cans of Waikato...tells you a lot about the people there! :)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="WillieTheWaiter" data-cid="566301" data-time="1458530176">
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<p>I must confess I laugh my fcuking ar$e off every time I see someone complain about campers coming over here and making a mess.</p>
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<p>People have no idea what kiwis are like in europe.. am going to throw out there that they're a shedload worse.</p>
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<p>here's an example from a 'freedom' camping site in germany...</p>
<p><img src="http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_images/master/attachicon.gif" alt="attachicon.gif"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=1997'>MOre Carnage.jpg</a></p>
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<p>I'm sure kiwis over there behave like ferals, thats the problem of the countries in europe to deal with not ours. Does anyone think kiwis are going to stop going to europe? Thats one of the excuses that keeps cropping up, "unless we create better facilities for these freeloaders to use without paying for them they'll stop coming". </p>
<p>Good, sounds like a plan to me.</p> -
<p>some of the slogans on those campers are very poor taste and offensive.</p>
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<p>The ones I've seen are just puerile. </p>