Easy Campervan Meals in New Zealand: One-Pot Dinners, Quick Breakfasts and a Pantry That Lasts

A small kitchen that does the job

Most rental vans come with a basic kit, but it is worth checking before you leave the depot. You need one good pot with a lid, a frying pan, a sharp knife, a chopping board, a tin opener, a spatula, a couple of plates and bowls and a kettle or a pot for the morning. A stove and a gas cartridge or bottle is the heart of it, so check how much gas you have and where to refill.

Add a few extras that earn their place: a washing-up bowl, a tea towel, a couple of reusable containers for leftovers, a small cool bag and a head torch for cooking after dark. A roll of foil, zip bags and a few sachets of oil and salt save a shop on day one.

A pantry that lasts

Stock the things that keep for weeks and build meals around them: rice, pasta, noodles, tinned tomatoes, tinned beans and chickpeas, coconut cream, stock cubes, oil, salt, pepper, a couple of spices, wraps, oats, peanut butter, tea and coffee. Buy the fresh things in smaller amounts, every few days, and eat the most perishable first.

A jar of pesto, a bag of frozen peas and a block of cheese turn pasta into dinner, and an onion, garlic and a tin of tomatoes are the start of almost anything. Pack a couple of sauces, such as soy, sweet chilli and curry paste, and a few jars last the trip.

Dinners in one pot

Pasta with sausage or bacon, tinned tomatoes and whatever vegetables you have is the standard, and it makes enough for lunch. A one-pan fried rice with eggs and frozen peas takes ten minutes, a curry of chicken thighs or chickpeas with coconut cream and kūmara is a New Zealand favourite, and a chilli of mince, beans and tinned tomatoes feeds a crowd and tastes better the next day.

On a gas barbecue, which many holiday parks and some DOC campsites and parks provide for free, sausages, steak, lamb chops and foil-wrapped fish or vegetables are quick, and there is little to wash up. If the fire rules allow a campfire, the campfire guide has the details, and a total fire ban means no open flames, so check before you light anything.

Breakfast, lunch and the road

Porridge or muesli with fruit, eggs on toast and a pan of bacon and tomato are the easy mornings, and a flask of coffee for the road makes them better. For lunch, wraps with cheese, ham, salad and hummus, or a sandwich and fruit, are the usual, and they keep well in a cool bag. A hot pie from a bakery or a fish and chip stop is a good treat when the cooking is a chore.

Snacks matter more than people expect on long drives: nuts, fruit, crackers, muesli bars and a bag of lollies for the hills. Fill a water bottle at every stop, and keep a few meals that need no cooking for the wet or tired night.

Where to shop and what to buy local

The main supermarket chains are in every large town, and smaller towns have a Four Square or a local store at higher prices, so buy staples before you head for the West Coast, Fiordland or East Cape. The grocery prices and the food and fuel resupply guides cover the costs and the long gaps between shops.

Look for the local things: roadside stalls with fruit and vegetables and an honesty box, so carry some coins, farmers markets on weekends in many towns, and fish and seafood from a wharf or fish shop. If you plan to catch your own, check the fishing rules for size and bag limits, as they vary by species and area.

Gas, ventilation and washing up

Cook with the doors or windows open, and never run a gas stove or heater in a sealed van, because carbon monoxide builds up quietly. Keep the stove clear of curtains, switch the gas off at the bottle after cooking and check the connections if you smell gas. A cartridge stove is simple, and a bottle needs a refill at a depot or a petrol station.

Do the washing up with a little water and biodegradable soap, and take dirty water to a dump station or a drain, never a stream or a roadside. The wastewater and rubbish guide has the rules, and the dump station guide helps you find a place to empty. Pack out every scrap of rubbish.

Planning your trip in KiwiCamping

For a cooking trip, KiwiCamping's facilities and campervan access filters include the public dump stations and water points you need. Add each night to a dated trip, and the forecast for the stop helps you choose between a barbecue night and a wet-weather pasta.

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Places along the way