Freedom camping in Kāpiti

Kilometres of stunning coastline and the captivating backdrop of Kāpiti Island make Kāpiti a must-visit destination for sustainable travellers. It's the perfect stopover going to or from Wellington, with a series of coastal communities only an hour's drive north of the Capital.

Freedom camping or 'parking up'

To camp within the Kāpiti Coast outside of designated campgrounds, your vehicle must be fully self-contained and display your self-containment warrant.

There is no need to book ahead as sites are first come first served, but to enhance campers' stay and experience you must:

be considerate of residents and other campers
remove all rubbish, including solid and liquid waste
provide evidence your vehicle is self-contained, if asked by a council officer
abide by all relevant rules, Council bylaws including noise and animal control, barbecue use and camp fires.

For campers who are not self-contained, Kāpiti has three holiday parks that offer a wide range of facilities.

Freedom camping (sometimes called sustainable camping) is all about caring for our spectacular environment as much as we do. Freedom campers leave no trace and help keep our communities and the natural environment free from pollution and waste.

Green warrants

Under the new Green warrant requirements, you need to have your vehicle certified by a Certification Authority. Certification is valid for four years.

Visit the register to find a Certification Authority in your region.

To receive a Green warrant, your vehicle must meet requirements in relation to its water supply, fixed toilet, wastewater system, ventilation system, sink and rubbish storage.
More information on the requirements for getting your vehicle certified is available on the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board website.

Restrictions

Some areas of Kāpiti are subject to restrictions on vehicle sizes, numbers, maximum stay, and return periods. These listed sites, and maps highlighting their locations, are found in Schedule 1 of the Freedom Camping Bylaw and are outlined in the tables below.

Please use only the marked designated freedom camping park(s) at each site. 

Areas where freedom camping is allowed subject to complying with the restrictions imposed	Designated Parks (Self-Contained Vehicles)	Maximum Vehicle Length	Maximum Stay	Maximum Summer Stay (1 December to last day of February)	Return Period
Park area Ōtaki Beach (North of Ōtaki Surf Club)	2	8 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
Carpark Ōtaki Beach (South of the Surf Club) opposite Tasman Road	4	10 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
Layby Area by Expressway Interchange, South of Ōtaki	3	8 metres	2 nights	2 nights	14 days
North Carpark Field Way Road, Waikanae Beach	2	8 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
Carpark Opposite #68 Marine Parade, Paraparaumu Beach	3	8 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
Carpark Opposite #62 Marine Parade, Paraparaumu Beach	3	8 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
McLean Street carpark (besides Kāpiti Court Motel), Paraparaumu Beach	3	8 metres	2 nights	2 nights	28 days
Raumati Marine Gardens, Raumati Beach	2	8 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
North End The Parade, Paekākāriki	2	8 metres	2 nights	1 night	28 days
KCDC Staff Carpark, Civic Precinct, Paraparaumu	4	8 metres	1 night (6pm to 7am)	1 night (6pm to 7am)	14 days

Reserve areas where freedom camping is allowed subject to complying with the restrictions imposed	Designated Parks by signage or marking (Self-Contained Vehicles)	Maximum Vehicle Length	Maximum Stay	Maximum Summer Stay (1 December to last day of February)	Return Period
Reserves
Waikanae Park, Waikanae	2	8 metres	2 nights	2 nights	14 days
Field Way Reserve, Waikanae Beach	2	8 metres	2 nights	2 nights	28 days
Waimea Rd Beach Carpark, Waikanae Beach	3	10 metres	2 nights	2 nights	28 days

Area where freedom camping is allowed in tents subject to complying with the restrictions imposed	Designated Parks (Self-Contained Vehicles)	Maximum Vehicle Length	Maximum Stay	Maximum Summer Stay (1 December to last day of February)	Return Period
Mangaone South Road end, Reikorangi	10 Tents	n/a	2 nights	2 nights	n/a

Prohibited Areas

In some places on the Kāpiti Coast, freedom camping is not allowed. See Schedule 2 of the Freedom Camping Bylaw for maps of the prohibited areas listed below.

Town centres where freedom camping is not allowed on local authority land, including local roads.

Listing of Prohibited town centres:

Ōtaki Main Road shopping area
Ōtaki State Highway shopping area
Waikanae shopping area
Paraparaumu Coastlands and associated area
Paraparaumu Beach shopping area
Paraparaumu business park area
Raumati Beach shopping area
Raumati South shops
Paekākāriki shops

Specific local authority areas/carparks where freedom camping is not allowed.

Listing of specific sites where freedom camping is prohibited:

Ōtaki, Anzac Road
Ōtaki Beach, Ōtaki Surf Club
Ōtaki, Dog Park
Ōtaki Public Tennis Courts Greenwood Blvd
Te Horo Beach, Sea Road
Peka Peka Beach, Peka Peka Road end
Waikanae Beach, Pharazyn Reserve
Waikanae Beach, Te Moana Road end Reserve
Waikanae Beach, Waimeha Domain
Paraparaumu Beach, Arawa Street road end
Paraparaumu Beach, George Street road end
Paraparaumu Beach, Kapiti Boating Club carpark
Paraparaumu Beach, Manly Street esplanade (between #197 and #199)
Paraparaumu Beach, Ngapotiki Street road end
Paraparaumu Beach, Nathan Avenue road end
Paraparaumu Beach, Takutai Street
Paraparaumu Central, Barry Hadfield Nikau Reserve
Paraparaumu Central, Nikau Palm Road
Raumati Beach, Garden Road (Raumati Marine playground carpark)
Raumati Beach, Tainui Street road end
Raumati Beach, Takitimu Street road end
Raumati Beach, Weka Road
Raumati South, Aotea Road end
Raumati South, Hydes Road end
Raumati South, Tennis Court Road
Paekākāriki, Robertson Road
Paekākāriki, Ames Street Reserve

Map

Council are updating our maps to reflect the schedules but for now, campers can look at the schedules directly. Third-party sites like CamperMate or Rankers are also available to campers but Council does not control these apps or the accuracy of their information.

Waste disposal

Campers can dispose of their toilet/shower waste at the following Council affiliated location:

Ōtaki Refuse Transfer Station (Riverbank Road Ōtaki PDS)
1 Riverbank Road
Ōtaki

Other commercial locations include:

Mobil Amohia St, Paraparaumu
BP, 108 Kāpiti Road.

Note: these commercial locations are not owned or managed by Council, and are outlined on this page for user convenience only. Please contact the site manager regarding any maintenance.

Compliance

We monitor our camping accross the district and encourage freedom camping, which is all about caring for our spectacular environment as much as we do. Campers should leave no trace and help keep our communities and natural environment free from pollution and waste.

Remember freedom camping isn’t just for visitors to enjoy – if you feel like a change of scenery, check out one of our spots this summer!