Spend the night with a team policing freedom camping hot spots in Otago

March 13, 2019

Seven Sharp’s Mike Thorpe went on patrol.

Central Otago is home to some incredible scenery - and camp sites, some of which are free.

The camps at Bendigo and Lowburn - near Cromwell, sit on land owned and policed by the Crown.

Most of the freedom campers are welcome.

However, not all of them are well behaved.

"We have that one per cent that aren't using the facilities provided, aren't using the bins and are causing a little bit of trouble," April Hussey of Land Information NZ told TVNZ1's Seven Sharp.

"Those are the ones you hear about." 

At Bendigo the rules are simple anyone can stay in any kind of vehicle, but only for a limited time. Three nights a month to be exact.

On the opposite side of the lake at Lowburn it's a little more complex.

You need your own supply of fresh water, a sink and a toilet that can be used within the vehicle.

It's no surprise that some campers don't meet self-contained requirements.

Watch the video above to see how a regular patrol of freedom camping grounds plays out in Central Otago.

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