Cliques in the campground

An industry insider tells Josh Martin of the rival sub-groups that exist around New Zealand’s increasingly squeezed campsites.

The Tupperwares have had it with the Sliders and Vomit Wagons ruining their precious reputations, while the Caravaners and the bus people yearn for the good old days and the Fifth-wheelers call themselves campers but likely have Egyptian cotton sheets and a 50-inch TV onboard.

All of them though, think we have the whole freedom camping thing wrong: They aren’t all messy, tax-avoiding, unhygienic bludgers who don’t know how and when to go to the loo.

I had never heard of the cliques that existed in the campground – whether commercial, Department of Conservation-run, or council carpark – but an industry insider, who has helped run campgrounds and spends months at a time on the road, was at pains to educate me on the differences between groups who all want to see New Zealand nature close up.

The Freedom Camping Act 2011 lumped all types of people living on wheels under the umbrella term ‘‘freedom campers’’ – that’s everyone from those forced to live in their cars out of desperation, to millionaire retirees who’d buy a palatial motorhome worth more than $250,000.

And as the law set in, everyday Kiwis who saw overcrowded carparks, camping litter left on beach sides and much, much worse grouped all campers as freedom campers, whether they were selfcontained or not.

As our mole says: ‘‘We hate being tarred with the same brush as the small minority who give the rest of us a bad name’’.

A lot of older Kiwis (usually in ‘‘Tupperware’’ white motorhomes) flatly refuse to accept that they are freedom campers, and indeed most of us do refer to the overseas tourists as freedom campers, forgetting that we also fall in to the same category…

Tensions have certainly risen in the camping and motorhome fraternity in recent years, as designated freedom campsites have got smaller or been removed by councils altogether, resulting in more campers in smaller spaces.

Adding to that the growing resentment longstanding campers have towards certain groups typically driving ‘‘Vomit Wagons’’ or ‘‘Sliders’’ which they blame for dirtying (quite literally) their reputations.

These camper vehicles can be a ‘‘grey area’’ for inspectors looking to see if they are self-contained because some are mislabelled as self-contained and on-sold with such frequency that the fresh-off-theplane tourist owners are duped into buying a vehicle not well-suited to their itinerary or camping budget.

‘‘Certainly in the case of older Kiwis, they do tend to look down on campers in cars and sliders.

‘‘It’s almost as if they’re just waiting for them to put a foot wrong and dump their rubbish or something even nastier somewhere they’re not supposed to,’’ our insider said.

However, the divide between the mainly foreign Sliders and the traditional campervans or slightly flasher Tupperwares is not just built on a resentment of park-side poopers.

Sometimes it’s just down to the break-neck speed at which foreign travellers try to see all of New Zealand’s sights.

‘‘They’re constantly on the move so apart from a polite hello, they’re not here long enough to really get to know many locals. In contrast, because most of us live on the road and are in no hurry, Kiwis often park up for at least a week at a time.’’

Our camping insider said the reputation campers have as bludgers wasn’t fair.

Although our born-again camper said there was a clear and present divide between foreign and domestic freedom campers, within the clique of campervans, Tupperwares and old-school caravans lifelong friendships are made.

‘‘Campers are very sociable in person and regularly hold happy hours and pot luck dinners. You make new friends all the time.’’

Our camping insider said the reputation campers have as bludgers wasn’t fair, given the millions they contribute to the economy, but was a result of the ‘‘freedom’’ moniker forced on them by the legislation.

Proper freedom camping, whereby you don’t stay at a commercial or DOC-run campsite and pay a fee, was just one of several camping options that are usually combined during longer stays depending on the location and specific council bylaws.

‘‘Just because we stay at freedom camps occasionally, doesn’t mean that’s all we do… you can’t even stay at most of them for more than a couple of nights anyway.

‘‘Most freedom campers pay to stay at a

campground. Paying for sites at DOC campgrounds is hugely popular with freedom campers because they have toilets which means every type of vehicle can stay there.

‘‘They cost between $8-$13 a night and you will find more overseas tourists at those camps than anyone else.’’

Due to the average 50-day driving holiday that freedom campers have in Aotearoa, our campground regulars argued their tourist dollar could be more important than other tourist groups and can reach regions sometimes off the tour bus radar. Despite the tourist income the infrastructure – or lack of it – remains a sore point for the councils, locals and campers alike, no matter what their camping clique is.

Cliques in the campground

Vomit wagons

Tourists in cars, usually station wagons. Low cost and high kilometres on the dial. Normally international tourists on a budget and as such their set of wheels has no toilet facilities.

Sliders

Named for the loud sliding doors which can ruffle the feathers of campers nearby. Around two-thirds of these are international tourists. Some have toilets but some don’t, creating tension when inspectors come knocking.

Caravans

The nostalgic throwback to traditional Kiwi campers, almost exclusively domestic tourists who stay in places for weeks and months, not days.

Tupperware/Fridges

White and plastic. These are the omnipresent campervans, with some boasting full kitchens and Sky TV onboard. And costing as much as a small home. This lot sticks together and can be cliquey in the campground, but others snigger at them for being more ‘‘glamper’’ than camper.

Buses

Old-school, salt-of-the-earth types who have been on the road for years. Stereotypically friendly and helpful.

Fifth-Wheelers

‘‘Seriously big rigs and most of the Kiwis who own them live in them permanently’’.