Freedom camping in Kāpiti

Kilometres of stunning coastline and the captivating backdrop of Kāpiti Island make Kāpiti a must-visit destination for freedom 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'

Fully self-contained vehicles (meaning they must have their own toilet and waste-disposal facilities) are welcome to stay at our nine well-signposted designated sites around the Kāpiti Coast.

Permits are not required, but to enhance campers' stay and experience please:

• 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 council bylaws including camp fires and barbecue use, noise and animal control.

For campers who are not self-contained, Kāpiti has several holiday parks that offer a wide range of facilities. Ōtaki Forks also has facilities and allows non-self-contained freedom campers – visit the Department of Conservation website to read more about this campsite.

Freedom camping locations

The table and map below show Kāpiti freedom camping sites, what facilities are available at each one, and how long you are able to stay. The number of freedom camping vehicles welcome at each site ranges from one to six, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Location	Sites available	How long can I stay?
North Bank, Ōtaki River, Ōtaki Beach	6	48 hours
Field Way, Waikanae Beach	2	24 hours
Waimea Road Carpark, Waikanae Beach	2	24 hours
Waikanae Park, Park Avenue	2	24 hours
Waikanae River Mouth, Tutere Street	4	24 hours
54 Marine Parade (opposite), Paraparaumu Beach	2	24 hours
62 Marine Parade (opposite), Paraparaumu Beach	2	24 hours
69 Marine Parade (opposite), Paraparaumu Beach	2	24 hours
Raumati Beach, Matatua Road Carpark	3	24 hours

Waste disposal 

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

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

There is also a non-Council toilet/shower waste disposal station at: 

Mobil Kāpiti
22 Amohia Street (cnr Amohia Street and Kapiti Road)
Paraparaumu.

Compliance

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

• Freedom Camping Policy 2012
• Freedom Camping Act 2011