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Campervan Hire in Dunedin / Ōtepoti

Compare campervans and prices for campervan hire in Dunedin / Ōtepoti

Campervan in Auckland New Zealand

Compare campervan and motorhome hire from Dunedin

Explore New Zealand with a campervan hire from Dunedin Airport (DUD) or City locations

Renting a campervan from us in the Dunedin / Ōtepoti area offers a uniquely flexible and immersive way to explore the Otago region of New Zealand. With a campervan, you have the freedom to design your own itinerary, travel at your own pace, and access both well-known attractions and hidden scenic spots without being tied to hotel bookings or fixed transport schedules. This freedom is especially valuable in the South Island, where dramatic landscapes — from coastal roads and wildlife sanctuaries to rolling hills and rugged national parks — unfold along relaxed, picturesque routes that reward spontaneous detours and sunrise stops. Campervans also combine accommodation and transport in one, helping to reduce overall travel costs and allowing you to stay closer to nature in beautiful freedom camping spots around Dunedin and beyond.

Another major benefit of hiring a campervan around Dunedin / Ōtepoti is the comfort and convenience it brings to regional travel. Modern campervans typically come equipped with sleeping areas, kitchen facilities, and sometimes even onboard toilets and showers, which can make multi-day trips far more comfortable and self-sufficient than traditional camping or constantly searching for lodgings. For families, groups, or couples, this means more time enjoying local experiences — from sampling local cuisine or craft beers in the city to spending nights watching the stars on the Otago Peninsula — without the hassle of packing and unpacking at each stop. Planning flexibility also helps travellers make the most of shoulder-season deals and avoid crowds during peak months.

Introduction to Dunedin / Ōtepoti & Surroundings

Dunedin Highlights for Campervan Travellers

Dunedin / Ōtepoti is a rewarding destination for campervan travellers, blending historic charm with easy access to wild coastal scenery. The city itself is known for its well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture, lively café culture, and attractions such as the Dunedin Railway Station and Otago Museum. Campervan travellers benefit from well-located holiday parks and parking areas around the city, making it easy to explore urban highlights while still enjoying the flexibility of life on the road.

One of the standout highlights near Dunedin is the Otago Peninsula, a must-visit for nature and wildlife lovers. Just a short drive from the city, the peninsula offers dramatic coastal views, quiet bays, and opportunities to see rare wildlife including albatross, penguins, and seals. Scenic roads are well suited to campervan travel, with plenty of lookout points for photos and picnic stops. Campervan travellers can spend a full day exploring the peninsula’s beaches, walking tracks, and small settlements before returning to nearby campsites or holiday parks.


Beyond the peninsula, Dunedin / Ōtepoti is an excellent gateway to Central Otago and the lower South Island. Campervan travellers can easily head inland to explore rugged landscapes, historic gold-mining towns, and popular cycling trails such as the Otago Central Rail Trail. Coastal routes north and south of the city also deliver secluded beaches, sea cliffs, and peaceful overnight stops. Whether you’re combining wildlife encounters, cultural experiences, or scenic road trips, Dunedin offers a diverse and campervan-friendly base for exploring southern New Zealand.

Cheap campervan in Auckland New Zealand

Find out more about our campervans in Dunedin

Our Campervans in Dunedin

Our main suppliers in Dunedin are Discover NZ Motorhomes, Tui Campers and Freedom Campers. However, it is worth noting that in Queenstown we offer a wider range of vehicles from significantly more suppliers.

Some Of Our Most Popular Vehicles in Dunedin

choose from sleeper cars, small campers, low-top, hi-top, 2-berth, 4-berth and 6-berth motorhomes

Most of our campervans are fully equipped with bedding (duvets, sheets, pillows and covers and towels) and the kitchen comes fully equipped with cutlery, crockery, electric appliances etc ' most have a Microwave included. Costs vary and in some cases charges are made for the hire of equipment and bedding. These are itemised when you request a quote

Compare campervan and motorhome hire from Dunedin / Ōtepoti

Campervan facilities and services around Dunedin / Ōtepoti

Here are some campervan-friendly facilities and services in the Dunedin, New Zealand area to help make your journey smooth, comfortable, and convenient

Holiday Parks & Campervan Sites
  1. Dunedin Holiday Park & Motels – A well-established holiday park right by St Kilda Beach, offering powered and unpowered sites for campervans, clean shower and toilet blocks, laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi, communal BBQ areas, and an on-site dump station for grey and black water disposal. It’s a popular base for exploring Dunedin city and the Otago Peninsula.
  2. Portobello Village Tourist Park – On the scenic Otago Peninsula, this smaller park gives campervan travellers easy access to coastal walks, wildlife viewing spots (including penguin and albatross colonies), and relaxed facilities in a quiet setting.
  3. NZMCA Park Dunedin – A campervan-friendly site near Woodhaugh, offering amenities like kitchen and TV lounge, laundry, dump station access, and free Wi-Fi. It’s ideal for travellers looking for a mix of nature and city convenience.
Dump Stations & Practical Services

Dunedin has a mix of holiday park dump points (like those at Dunedin Holiday Park & Motels and NZMCA Park) where campervans can legally empty grey and black water, which is essential for responsible travel in New Zealand. For more basic public services, there’s a dump station at Z Energy Andersons Bay Service Station in South Dunedin — handy if you’re on the move and not staying in a holiday park.


Free campervan parking spots like Ocean View Reserve at Brighton Road offer simple overnight stays with basic amenities (toilets, drinking water, rubbish bins, and a dump station), though time limits and self-containment requirements may apply.

Freedom Camping Guidance

If your vehicle is certified fully self-contained, Dunedin City Council allows freedom camping in many parts of the city on designated gravel or sealed parking areas — just be sure to check local signage to avoid prohibited zones and follow responsible camping rules. This flexibility means you can enjoy coastal pulls-offs and scenic stops around Dunedin as part of your campervan experience, especially outside the busiest holiday park hubs.


These facilities and services support both short stays and longer explorations, helping you manage essential needs like waste disposal, power, showers, laundry, and scenic overnight stops while travelling around Dunedin and the wider Otago region.

Suggested Multi-day Trips

Trip Ideas From Dunedin / Ōtepoti With Your Camper Hire

Dunedin is a great launch point for trips with your campervan rental — there's wild coastlines, and alpine scenery. Here are some multi-day campervan itineraries.

1. Dunedin → The Catlins Loop (3–5 days)

Driving: easy, slow, scenic

Route: Dunedin → Nugget Point → Owaka → Papatowai → Curio Bay → Invercargill → return inland or coast

Highlights

  • Nugget Point lighthouse & fur seals
  • McLean Falls & Purakaunui Falls
  • Cathedral Caves (check tides)
  • Curio Bay petrified forest + Hector’s dolphins
  • Penguins at dusk in several spots
2. Dunedin → Central Otago → Queenstown Loop (5–7 days)

Driving: very camper-friendly

Route: Dunedin → Middlemarch → Ranfurly → Clyde/Alexandra → Wanaka → Queenstown → Lindis Pass → Omarama → Oamaru → Dunedin

Highlights

  • Rail Trail towns & historic pubs
  • Clyde & Bannockburn wineries
  • Wanaka lakeside freedom camping
  • Queenstown day hikes or chill lake days
  • Lindis Pass golden tussock landscapes
  • Clay cliffs near Omarama
3. Southern Scenic Route (Dunedin → Fiordland) (7–10 days)

Driving: longer, but iconic

Route: Dunedin → The Catlins → Invercargill → Riverton → Te Anau → Milford Sound → return via Queenstown or Central Otago

Highlights

  • Everything from Trip 1 above
  • Te Anau lakeside camping
  • Milford Sound cruise (park the van and go)
  • Mirror Lakes, Homer Tunnel, waterfalls everywhere
  • Glowworm caves (optional)
4. Dunedin → Oamaru → Kaikōura Coast (4–6 days)

Driving: SH1 with ocean views

Route: Dunedin → Oamaru → Moeraki → Timaru → Kaikōura → return same way or inland

Highlights

  • Steampunk HQ & little blue penguins in Oamaru
  • Moeraki Boulders at sunrise
  • Coastal freedom camps north of Timaru
  • Whale watching & seal colonies in Kaikōura
  • Crayfish roadside stalls
5. Otago Backcountry Adventure (4–6 days)

Driving: Check road conditions, some gravel

Route: Dunedin → Middlemarch → Naseby → St Bathans → Omarama → Kurow → return via Oamaru

Highlights

  • Naseby forest walks & historic gold towns
  • Blue Lake at St Bathans
  • Hot tubs under the stars (Omarama)
  • Waitaki Valley lakes & dams
  • Dark sky reserves
6. Otago Peninsula + Coastal Chill (2–4 days)

Driving: Short distances

Route: Dunedin → Portobello → Hoopers Inlet → Sandfly Bay → Blueskin Bay → return

Highlights

  • Albatross colony
  • Sea lions and penguins
  • Cliff-top coastal walks
  • Beachside camps close to the city

We Answer Your Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Renting Our Campervans

Generally, you need to be 25 years-old to be able to hire and drive a campervan in New Zealand, with some of our suppliers allowing 21 years-old to hire. Some companies may allow 18-year-olds to drive smaller "sleeper cars”, so make sure to check the rental requirements.

What you need to know about Freedom Camping

Freedom Camping Info for New Zealand

Here’s a useful list of websites and online resources with official info, maps, rules, and planning tools for campervan freedom camping in New Zealand — great reference links to help you find legal spots and understand your obligations:

  1. The Department of Conservation (DOC) is a great start as you can search for freedom campsites and find out what areas are prohibited for freedom camping. Freedom Camping Rules
  2. Kiwi Campers – Freedom Camping Rules & Guide – Overview of freedom camping in NZ including where you can and can’t camp legally. Freedom Camping Rules – Kiwi Campers
  3. KiwiCamping – Freedom Camping Rules NZ Map – Regional guide to current rules and mapped legal sites across NZ. Freedom Camping Rules by Region – KiwiCamping
  4. Camplify NZ – Freedom Camping Guide – Travel blog with practical tips and links to local laws & apps. Freedom Camping NZ: Complete Guide & Rules (Camplify)
  5. Freedom Camping Act 2011 (Legislation NZ) – Full legal text of the Act that defines freedom camping and sets the national rules. Freedom Camping Act 2011 – New Zealand Legislation
  6. TCDC Freedom Camping Info (Thames-Coromandel Council) – Example council resource on how freedom camping works locally (includes maps & designated areas). Freedom Camping Bylaw | Thames‑Coromandel District Council
  7. TOHU Travellers – Freedom Camping Guide – Independent traveller guide with useful links to apps and legal tips. Freedom Camping in Aotearoa | Tohu Travellers
  8. CamperMate (App & Website) – A key interactive guide for finding freedom camping spots, dump stations, toilets, and other services during your trip (note: search via their map interface for spots). CamperMate NZ – Freedom Camping and Campsite Finder

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