Freedom Camping at Colac Bay and the Southland Coast

The Colac Bay site

The council's location list shows Colac Bay, also written Oraka, as a site for certified self-contained vehicles only, with a limit of two days in any 30. Camping in tents, cars and vehicles without a certificate is not allowed there. With a green warrant on display, you park on the council reserve by the bay, and the beach and the surf break are a short walk away.

Because the stay is short, it works as an overnight on the road and not a base. The council's general rules apply: fires only in a council fire facility, dogs on a lead, generators between 8am and 9pm, and all rubbish taken with you. The guide to the self-contained campervan warrant explains what the vehicle needs.

Why Riverton has no site

Riverton, the oldest town in Southland and the last proper stop before Colac Bay, has no council freedom camping site. The bylaw maps show the whole township as camping prohibited, and the council's list does not mention it, so a van that turns up in the harbour car park risks a ticket. The nearest options are Colac Bay to the west and the council camping grounds and holiday parks in the area.

The fines are national: $400 for camping where it is prohibited, $400 for a vehicle that is not self-contained where it must be, $200 for no warrant card on display and $800 for damage or waste. A hire company passes the notice on to the renter.

Monkey Island and the west

Monkey Island at Orepuki is the council's other coastal site, and it is the friendly one: non-self-contained camping is allowed, with a limit of 28 days a year, and no drinking water, so bring your own. It suits a tent or a van without a certificate and a night under the Foveaux Strait sky.

Beyond it, Tuatapere has no site, and Curio Bay's campground, further east in the Catlins, takes bookings, and the council's page said it was temporarily closed for maintenance when read in October 2026. Check each before you drive, because the south coast is remote and the next bed can be an hour away.

Campgrounds and DOC land

For a booked bed, the holiday parks and motor camps at Invercargill, Riverton and Tuatapere take tents and campervans, with powered sites and kitchens. The Southern Scenic Route guide covers the stops between Dunedin and Queenstown, and the guide to holiday parks in New Zealand explains how booking works.

In Southland, KiwiCamping's DOC data (11 August 2026) shows 5 DOC campsites, only 2 with campervan access, charging adults from $6 to $28 a night, and Mavora Lakes is the largest with room for 60. The Hump Ridge Track starts near Tuatapere and books separately through its own trust.

Using KiwiCamping on the south coast

KiwiCamping shows DOC campsites and huts, holiday parks and dump stations along the Southland coast, with filters for campervan access, though not the council's freedom camping reserves. Use the council's map for Colac Bay and Monkey Island, and keep a campground saved for each night.

Put Colac Bay into a trip with the legs either side, Invercargill about 45 minutes east and Tuatapere half an hour west, and plan fuel at Invercargill or Riverton. Saved places stay on the phone, and the map, routing, forecast and photos wait for signal, which is patchy past Orepuki. Free to download, with in-app purchases.

Places along the way