Long-time freedom camper battles stigma

JULIA WADE

06 Dec, 2021

Travelling free on the road with the flexiblity to live, explore, eat and sleep in different scenic locations, especially while on a budget, sounds like an ideal dream for many, however one long-term freedom camper says the life on the open road comes with a certain amount of prejudice.

Hibiscus Coast-based freedom camper ‘Tim’ has been living permanently in his 24-foot certified caravan for over two years and is also a regular visitor to Te Arai Point ‘for over 50 years’.

He says since he has been a freedom camper, or ‘a necessity camper’, he has had a number of runs-ins around the Coast as well as Mangawhai, including being sworn at and being called a freeloader, people banging on the caravan as they pass by, and had locals yelling abuse after Tim parked up on public coastline roads near their homes.

After parking on a public road by a campground he was accused of dumping grey water ‘when I was just washing limestone off my caravan’, and has experienced what he says was abusive behaviour by the managers, ‘even little old ladies have hassled me’.

Tim has also had the police called on him and been served with several trespass notices. Last year, while parked up at Orewa Beach, he was accused of urinating in public and overstaying at the popular beach side car park.

“I have a $5000 toilet system, I don’t need to go outside, and security cameras would have caught me leaving the car park and returning the next day,” he says. “But councils don’t need any evidence it seems to issue trespass notices… if they don’t like you, they’ll just ask the police to issue one on you. Local people have also found out how to get rid of freedom campers and they don’t need proof also it seems.”

Due to his former encounter with councils, Tim believed the local bodies use the trespass law ‘to get rid of people they don’t want around'. However, having to contact Kaipara District Council (KDC) after another confrontation at Mangawhai Heads where he says he was sworn at and told to move on from a public area, Tim received a more positive experience.

“The council guy I talked to actually said they wouldn’t just serve a notice, they would definitely have to investigate first before asking me to move along… which I was stoked to hear.”

A KDC spokesperson confirmed authorised staff members can serve trespass notices against freedom campers who ‘misbehave’ on council-controlled land, but only after an investigation to confirm evidence that the person did actually commit an offence.

The issue of freedom camping can be complicated, especially with situations that can be misinterpreted, for example when council signs at a public place states 'No parking overnight' and travellers in campervans have only parked up to go for a moonlit beach walk.

When concerned residents have called about suspected ‘overnight stayers’, the council spokesperson says unfortunately in some cases it is not always possible to respond immediately.

“Council officers are likely to visit these areas during daytime hours and staff like Noise Control respond to complaints after hours,” the spokesperson says. “However, sometimes staff can only get to speak to an overnight camper the following day to establish whether or not they created a nuisance, or whether they plan to move on. These situations do occur and generally our staff find no issues, and more often than not the camper has already moved on.”

Freedom camping can be complicated; but signage helps any confusion. PHOTO/JULIA WADE

“Even little old ladies have hassled me.”

-Tim, freedom camper