Many illegal campers pack up early to avoid council staff, but one uninhabited van on Woods Ave at 10am yesterdaywas surrounded by rubbish including two empty cans, a crushed soft drink bottle and wrappers from fish and chips and a burger. The van did not have warrant or registration stickers.
A 71-year-old morning walker, who would not be named, complained about the number of freedom campers she had encountered at Fergusson Park recently.
"What I really object to is all those people hanging washing everywhere," she said. "The other day there were 14 freedom campers here. They're only allowed three."
The woman confronted German backpacker Franz Zumpe, 28, about the scruffy-looking van he had slept in at Fergusson Park. But her wrath was misguided, as Mr Zumpe had gone to much trouble to certify his vehicle as fully self-contained and therefore eligible to freedom camp legally without being fined $200.
"I have to be legal," he said. "Two hundred dollars is 40 pizzas."
Mr Zumpe said council signs at Fergusson Park were very confusing. A sign at the entrance to the park and another near a toilet block showed different locations for legal camping.
Paraparaumu retiree Roger Smith, a member of the NZ Motor Caravan Association, was also camping nearby. He said illegal campers were taking up all the available spots at freedom camping sites, forcing members of his association to move elsewhere.
"It's wrong," he said. "People squat behind a tree instead of going to the toilets. Our club is doing a lot of work with councils and we don't want people ruining it."
There are many locations around Tauranga where freedom camping is permitted, but several rules must be obeyed. The main one is that vehicles must be certified as self-contained, with a toilet and fresh water. There are also restrictions on the number of vehicles that can be parked at each site.
