Camping

Council is responsible for registering camping grounds throughout the Clutha District. These grounds provide accommodation for mainly tourists, but occasionally for longer staying people. There are some sixteen registered camping grounds within our district. The majority of grounds will provide for tents, touring vans as well as cabins for people touring in cars.

Communal facilities in the form of kitchens, toilets, bathrooms and laundries are required although in some cases (notably smaller sites) the Council considers it reasonable to issue relaxations where the size of the site makes it uneconomical to provide all of these facilities. Under such circumstances there are usually alternative facilities available, e.g. a nearby restaurant or cafe is acceptable where there is no on-site kitchen.

Check out Destination Clutha for tourism information about our district - including accommodation.

Public Dump Station

There is a free public dump station on Crown Street, Balclutha, open 24/7. Potable water is also available.

Freedom Camping

There are a range of public reserve areas which can be used during daylight hours to access and enjoy Clutha District's district and diverse natural areas, coastlines and wide-open spaces. However, some restrictions on overnight camping have been put in place to protect our natural environment and to ensure the sustainability of this tourism activity for years to come.

Prohibited Areas for Freedom Camping

For more detail and maps showing which areas throughout the Clutha District are prohibited you can read Council's Freedom Camping Bylaw 2021 (refer to pages 7-29).

Self-contained vehicles

If your vehicle is fully self-contained (with a toilet, wastewater and rubbish facilities on-board) then there are some opportunities to camp overnight for free on land administered by the Clutha District Council. However, restrictions have been put in place to control the numbers of certified self-contained vehicles and the areas where they can park. This includes the following prohibited areas:

Town centres or residential areas
The foreshore area between Kaka Point and The Nuggets
The foreshore of Catlins Lake
Any other public areas where 'No Camping' signs are displayed.

What is a self-contained vehicle?

Details on the requirements and process for vehicle certification - what it means to be self-contained - can be found on the NZMCA page Certified Self-Containment

Non-self-contained vehicles

Freedom camping on land administered by the Clutha District in vehicles which are not certified self-contained, or tenting or sleeping outdoors, is not permitted.

If you do not have a certified fully self-contained vehicle, then please stay at one of Clutha District's many camping grounds.

Owaka Freedom Camping Site

The Owaka Freedom Camping site on Inn Street provides space for up to 8 self-contained vehicles, along with fresh water and a dump station.

Lawrence freedom camping trial

A new trial freedom camping area in Lawrence opened on 27 February 2023, allowing freedom campers to stay near the cycle trail.

The trial was put forward by the Lawrence Tuapeka Community Board and council has developed an area for self-contained freedom camping vehicles near the cycle trail, across from the police station.

The trial camping area is signposted, fenced off and has space for four camper vans. It is just outside the area designated as a no camping zone in Lawrence.

Camping Ground Regulations

The Camping Ground Regulations 1985 prescribe the standards to be provided within grounds used as campsites for vans, tents and re-locatable homes. They include the required fire precautions.