Southland

Wind, Wild Coast, and Good Spots

Freedom camping in Southland is best enjoyed if you slow down and work with the landscape rather than rush through it. The region is raw and exposed, and that's exactly the appeal. The spots that stick with me are the ones right on the coast, where you can fall asleep to the sound of the Southern Ocean and wake up to sea lions on the beach.

The Spots Worth Knowing

Monkey Island on the western coastal run is a favourite. Big enough to handle a crowd in peak season, and the walk out to the island at low tide is genuinely good. I've seen sea lions and dolphins from that beach, which never gets old. Just know it's exposed, and when the wind picks up down here, it really picks up. Over in The Catlins, Curio Bay has a decent freedom camping option nearby if the campground there isn't doing it for you. And Slope Point tends to be a quieter option too, worth a look if you want to avoid the peak-season bustle.

The main thing to understand about freedom camping down here is that most of the good spots are self-contained only. The roads to some of these sites are gravel, conditions can change fast, and facilities are minimal to non-existent. Come prepared and take your time.