New Zealand’s Freedom Camping Act has created a whole new class of people to regulate and control: Freedom Campers. So who are they? Quite a diverse group it seems. Young People Whether they be locals or international tourists, a road trip is almost a right of passage for young people of university age. It’s not a new phenomenon either. But it is one that many oldies complain about: they’re scruffy and unruly, their vehicles are unsightly, they leave a mess, they steal and so on. But many of these miserable old buggers forget that they once queued to see Easy Rider at the cinema and dreamed of life on the road. Many of the whining old bastards even did a bit of freedom camping themselves in their younger days and relished the experience. Of course, they’ll say: ‘but we did it responsibly’. Yeah right. None of you oldies were ever unsightly, unruly, drove old dungers or littered. Retired Elderly With nothing better to do, thousands of retired Kiwis hit the road in their RV’s, converted delivery trucks and house buses. Their vehicles, often old retired Japanese buses, are an impediment to other road users as they chug along belching black smoke. We sit behind them choking on the fumes and trying to work out on what planet the mottos these people adorn their travelling hovels with would be considered amusing: ‘Not Dunroamin’, ‘Grouse Inn’, ‘Adventure Before Dementia’, ‘I keep no cash on this bus – I’m married’. And so on ad nauseum. Cheapskate Campers These can include the retired elderly of course but are generally just people who could afford to pay their way but won’t if they can get away with it. There are thousands of cheapskate campers, many displaying a curious sticker with wings on either side of … Continue reading Freedom Campers