Freedom camping notices on DOC land: Turangi

What the notices mean in Turangi

In the Turangi district the restricted land far outweighs the prohibited land, even though prohibited notices are more numerous. Of 28 current DOC notices, 21 prohibit freedom camping and 7 restrict it, yet the restricted areas cover 289.7 ha against 52.3 ha prohibited. Nearly all of that restricted land is one place: Whakaipo Amenity Area, the largest notice area at 281.2 ha.

Whakaipo needs care, because two notices share nearly the same name. Whakaipo Amenity Area (Lakeshore) is a separate 15.7 ha notice where camping is prohibited outright, while the wider Whakaipo Amenity Area is restricted. All 7 restricted areas carry the same conditions, self-contained vehicles only and no more than 4 nights in a calendar month, so you need a certified self-contained vehicle at Whakaipo Amenity Area, Hinemaiaia Reserve Carparks, Huka-Aratiatia Amenity Area, Pillars of Hercules Carpark, Southern Access Corridor, Umukarikari Carpark and Urchin Carpark.

The 21 prohibited areas are mostly small car parks, picnic areas and amenity areas, including Tokaanu Hot Pools Carparks, Major Jones Amenity Area, Stag Pool Carpark, Cliff Pool Carpark, Hatepe Picnic Area, Mission Bay Amenity Area and Taupo Landing and Yacht Club carpark. The bigger ones are Parikarangaranga Picnic Site at 14.4 ha and Awaroa Amenity Area at 10.1 ha. No freedom camping is allowed in any of them.

These notices built up over several years rather than in one round. Of the current notices, 19 date from 2012, 2 from 2014, 3 from 2016, 3 from 2017 and 1 from 2021, when Five Mile Bay Amenity Area was prohibited on 13 November 2021. Notice numbers run from 161 to 296, and the areas sit on 19 distinct conservation land parcels. A further 10 notices are historic and no longer current, so check any older list against the current notices.

All of this applies to public conservation land only. These are DOC notices, not council bylaws, and the reserves, roadsides and car parks run by the council are governed by the Taupō District Council freedom camping rules, so the rules can change as you move from DOC land to council land.