Freedom camping in Wellington

General rules for freedom camping

• Use a certified self-contained vehicle, displaying a current warrant card.
• If staying at one of our two freedom camping sites, park only in a designated freedom camping park - check the map at the entrance.
• Stay in an on-street park if sites are at capacity.
• Don't stay in an area where freedom camping is not permitted. This includes all Wellington City Council reserves, coastal areas, parks, sports fields, and play area carparks.
• Freedom camping in a tent on public land is prohibited.
• If your vehicle is not certified self-contained you need to stay at a campground or in an on-street park.

Park Rangers monitor sites and recreational carparks seven days a week including public holidays. If you breach the Public Places Bylaw 2022 you could receive a $200 fine.

If you are still unsure about where you can freedom camp please call us on 04 499 4444.

Where can I freedom camp in Wellington?

If you arrive at one of our free sites after 4pm in our peak season, November to April, you will likely find all the designated freedom camping parks are full. To avoid a fine please stay in an on-street park.

Restricted camping on public land is allowed in Wellington City for self-contained campervans at the following sites.

Free sites

• Evans Bay Marina carpark (271KB PDF)
• Te Kopahou Visitors Centre carpark (274KB PDF)

You can stay at either of these sites for a maximum of four nights in any single calendar month. If you stay longer, you can be fined.

On your departure day please vacate the freedom camping site by 4pm as this frees up a park for people who need one.

Central city on-street parking is free from 8pm – 8am. Most on-street parking in the suburbs is free with no time restrictions. Please be considerate of others living in surrounding areas.

Free sites in Porirua

• Ngāti Toa Domain
• Bradey's Bay Park
• Onepoto Esplanade Reserve
• Motukaraka Point Reserve

Paid sites

• Barnett St car park on the Wellington waterfront is available to freedom campers with self-contained vehicles for $30 per 24 hours. (Note: Because this area is used by the Harbourside Market on Sunday mornings, you can't park at Barnett St carpark overnight on a Saturday.)

Full-service campervan parks in Wellington

If you need a serviced motorhome carpark in Wellington, visit:

• Cuba Street Motorhome Park (electricity only), 25 Garrett Street, Te Aro, Wellington
• Capital Lodge Motor Inn Wellington, 1 Newlands Road, Newlands
• Camping - Battle Hill - Greater Wellington
• Camping - Belmont Park - Greater Wellington
• Camping - Kaitoke Regional Park - Greater Wellington
• Harcourt Holiday Park, 45 Akatarawa Road, Upper Hutt
• Kiwi Holiday Park, 45 Akatarawa Road, Upper Hutt
• Top 10 Holiday Park, 95 Hutt Park Road, Moera, Lower Hutt
• Kapiti Holiday Resort, 16 Beach Haven Place, Paraparaumu Beach, Kāpiti Coast
• Camp Elsdon, 18 Raiha Street, Elsdon, Porirua

Check out our brochure for more information and a map of freedom camping sites in Wellington.

Places you can't camp

Reserves

Camping is not permitted in an area on any land managed under the Reserves Act and Wellington Town Belt Act. This includes all Council reserves, coastal areas, parks, sports fields, beaches and play area carparks. Read section 13 of the Public Places Bylaw 2022 to find out more. 

Public dump stations

Wellington's purpose-built stations for responsible disposal of waste and sewage are located at :

• Evans Bay Marina, 517 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai
• Ngauranga Gorge

Fines

Freedom camping offences may be subject to an infringement notice (Section 27(6), Freedom Camping Act 2011) and fee of $200.

What to do if you receive a fine

If you receive an infringement notice from an Enforcement Officer, you can pay the fee online using your credit card (use the Camping payment type) or at the Wellington City Council Service Centre, 12 Manners Street, Wellington.

Disputing an infringement

If you have been issued with a freedom camping infringement, you can dispute this by calling us on 04 499 4444 or visiting us at our Service Centre, 12 Manners Street.

Information on how to dispute a fine can be found on the back of your infringement notice.

Please note that it is up to freedom campers to know the rules around freedom camping and we will only issue a waiver in special circumstances.