The Hawea Community Association was so frustrated by rubbish and human waste left behind by visitors members blocked vehicle access to some areas.
Who can blame them?
As freedom campers increase in numbers so do problems with too few loos.
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean met the association and was impressed that they had come up with possible solutions:
Mrs Dean said suggestions from the meeting included more signage, maps of the North and South Islands, showing public toilets, dump stations and the different types of camping areas, a requirement to have porta potties in all camper vans without holding tanks and the progressive development of freedom camping areas with toilets provided.
The larger camper cans and caravans usually have their own loos. But smaller ones don’t and are often hired by people travelling on the cheap who don’t want to pay camping fees.
The provision of more public loos would help so that people have somewhere to go where they’re likely to stay but that comes at a cost.
Companies renting vehicles to tourists have a responsibility to educate them about the long distance between loos and give a very strong message that they can’t stay in places if there’s nowhere to go.
Some thoughts at the risk of being repetitive.
As the registered owner of the vehicle it cant be too difficult to hold the hire company responsible for any bylaw or public health offence. No good going after the hirer as they will be long gone before any response happens.
All applications for membership of the NZ motor Caravan Assn require a Self Containment status for the applicants vehicle.
Maui Rentals are embracing the SC system as more and more of their hire vans carry the signage.
There just isn’t room in the small hire vans for any form of containment, Eazy,budget, Wicked, Backpacker et al. An instant fine at somewhere 2 x the local camp fees may work.
Those of us who only leave wheelmarks have obtained SC status at some cost and all the camp provides us with that we don’t already have is a place to park and at around $30 a day is really just a second charge for no additional service.
Those of us who call ourselves responsible campers are equally disgusted at the complete disregard of our standards of hygiene that the dirty buggers are perpetrating on our country and I have great sympathy for the plight that places like Lake Hawea (and we have a slightly lesser problem here on the peninsula) are enduring but IMHO the answers are already in the hands of local govt and the hire companies.
ps had hoped to get to the rally of the South Canterbury branch of the NZMCA at Enfield last weekend but the pressure of retirement precluded it. Hopefully they left only tyretracks.
regards M
I think you’re right, GD. Local authorities can – and some do – restrict freedom camping in spots without loos to those like you who have self containment systems.
It’s not always easy to catch the culprits, especially in more isolated spots. But a concerted effort of strict policing followed by stiff fines for those who transgress would soon filter through travellers’ networks and get the message across.