Freedom Camping in Paihia and the Bay of Islands: Where You Can Stay

What the council says

Far North District Council's responsible camping page says camping or parking overnight in council-controlled parks, reserves and beaches is not permitted. Free campers are asked to use a short list of approved sites chosen for their toilets and water supplies, and Paihia, Waitangi and Russell are not among them.

The rule covers council land only, so DOC land, private land and campgrounds follow their own rules. The practical effect for a visitor is that a waterfront car park or a beach reserve is not a place to sleep, however empty it looks at 9pm, and the council can issue the national infringement fees.

The nearest approved site

The council's approved sites include Te Hononga in Gillies Street, Kawakawa, which is about 20 minutes' drive from Paihia and on the way in from State Highway 1. It is a late-arrival option for a self-contained vehicle, not a base for the Bay of Islands. The list has moved before, so check the council's page before a night depends on it.

Since 7 June 2026 a self-contained vehicle needs the green warrant, which the guide to the self-contained campervan warrant explains, and tents are not part of the approved-site message. The fees are $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, under the Freedom Camping (Penalties for Infringement Offences) Regulations 2023.

DOC land around the bay

DOC's freedom camping notices around the Bay of Islands list five current places, and camping is prohibited at all five, including Hongi Hika and Pitt Street. KiwiCamping's DOC data (11 August 2026) lists 14 DOC campsites across Northland, 11 of them bookable online through DOC, with adult nightly rates from $10 to $23, and Uretiti Beach Campsite is the biggest with room for 300.

On Urupukapuka Island in the bay, DOC runs campsites reached by boat or ferry, which suit a night away from the road. The kauri dieback guide matters on the walks from these campsites.

Holiday parks in Paihia

The Bay of Islands has holiday parks and motor camps in Paihia, at Waitangi and at Haruru Falls, with tent sites, powered sites, cabins and campervan bays, and they are the straightforward answer for any night here. They fill from December to February and over Easter, so reserve ahead. Paihia's parks fill in January, and the guide to holiday parks in New Zealand covers booking ahead.

For a week-long plan, the Bay of Islands camping week guide covers the nights and the days around the bay, and the Auckland to Bay of Islands drive guide covers the road from the city.

Using KiwiCamping around Paihia

For the Bay of Islands, KiwiCamping lists the holiday parks with bookable sites, the DOC campsites and the dump stations, and filters them by what your vehicle can reach. It does not hold the council's approved sites, so use the council's page for Kawakawa.

Add the Bay of Islands to a trip with each night dated and a holiday park noted, and read the distance between legs, whether you are heading on to Cape Reinga or back to Auckland. Northland's back roads drop signal often; the places and guides you saved still open, while the map, routing, weather and photos need a connection. The download is free, with in-app purchases.

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