Great value rentals from New Zealand’s most trusted campervan hire providers
Tauranga boasts the beautiful sandy beaches of the Bay of Plenty. If you want to make your next holiday break memorable, the city has a wide range of attractions for you to enjoy. Let VroomVroomVroom take the worry out of getting the best campervan deal for your Tauranga road trip.
Tauranga is the perfect family getaway because of its beautiful harbour, spacious parks, and close proximity to the popular beaches of Papamoa and Mount Maunganui. Shopaholics, on the other hand, will love the selections at Bayfair Shopping Centre and Palm Beach Plaza. Get ready to explore the coastal city and its surrounds in your campervan.
Some of our favourite things to do year-round in Tauranga are:
Summer (December, January, February): Tauranga is the place to be for outdoorsy folk. The golden beaches and lush parks are the perfect locations for surfing, kitesurfing, golfing and hiking. Only a 15-minute drive from the city, you'll find one of the most impressive beaches in Mount Maunganui. Another popular beach holiday destination is Papamoa, which is just 25 minutes away from the city centre.
Autumn (March, April, May): McLaren Falls Park is just 20 minutes by campervan from Tauranga. Home to one of the best botanical collections of trees in New Zealand, the park is a favourite spot for camping, picnics, fishing and bushwalking. Showcasing performances from some of the best jazz musicians across New Zealand and around the world, the National Jazz festival held each year is an event you shouldn’t miss.
Winter (June, July, August): The coastal Bay of Plenty has plenty of natural hot pools. You can drive east to Whakatāne and experience the Awakeri Hot Springs or take a day trip to Waihi Beach and explore the Athenree Natural Hot Springs. Events such as the New Zealand International Film Festival and Tauranga Zinefest are guaranteed to keep you busy this winter.
Spring (September, October, November): Time your visit between the last week of October and the first week of November for the annual Tauranga Arts Festival. This event, which features a wide variety of arts experiences such as circus, theatre, music, and dance continues to attract more than 50,000 guests each year. Only a 35-minute drive from the city, a day trip to Te Puke known as “The Kiwifruit Capital of the World” is worth a visit.
Year-Round: There are several attractions that you can explore in Tauranga for free. These include the Tauranga Farmers Market and Tauranga Art Gallery. Other favourite highlights in the city include the Kaiate Falls, Mills Reef Winery and Restaurant, and Memorial Park.
Cosy Corner Holiday Park is your perfect beach holiday escape, which is located at 40 Oceanbeach Road, Mount Maunganui. The park is open to campers from the end of October to Easter. It has easy access to the beach and just minutes away from Central Parade's supermarket, shops, and cafes. Guests are treated with Cosy Corner's excellent facilities including a swimming pool, hot tub, and BBQ area.
Omokoroa Kiwi Holiday Park can be found mid-way between Tauranga and Katikati. Enjoy all the conveniences you would expect at a holiday park with powered and non-powered sites, however, this one boasts three natural mineral thermal pools. The water is sourced directly from the hot water-rock spring located metres below the earth’s surface.
Papamoa Beach TOP 10 Holiday Resort is located on Papamoa Beach. The kids will love the jumping pillow, adventure playgrounds, and mini tennis court. Adults can take advantage of the magnificent sunsets and relaxing mood-lit private spa pool. You won't have to compromise on clean facilities either as this resort goes a step further by rating itself as immaculate.
Welcome Bay Hot Pools and Campground is only a 10-minute drive from Papamoa and 15 minutes to Mount Maunganui should you wish to spend the day at some of the popular beaches the area has to offer. This family-friendly swimming pool complex and camping ground is located on the outskirts of Tauranga. This small yet intimate holiday park is set amongst a rural setting which ensures a relaxing stay.
Waimarino Adventure Park is a unique kayak themed day out if you’re looking for a more sedate day on the river. You can hire kayaks by the hour, bounce on their water trampolines, or shoot the one and only kayak slide. They also offer night time glow-worm kayak tours.
Bay of Plenty region is high in sunshine hours. Walk the 16 kilometres of white-sand beach from Mt. Maunganui to Papamoa. Hike the track to the summit of 'The Mount', then finish with a soak in the hot salt-water pools at the bottom.
The Strand area is the perfect spot for art shops and sophisticated dining. There's also one of New Zealand's most rafted rivers in the region; the Wairoa river has several white-water operators. The river is accessible from the lower Kaimai region, just out of Tauranga.
On hiring a campervan in Tauranga
Unlike when hiring a rental car, people tend to book a campervan a bit further in advance, and there are a few reasons for this.
When you’re hiring a campervan, you’re not simply hiring something with four wheels to buzz around a city for a few days, instead you’re hiring a vehicle that you could well be living in for days, weeks, or even months. As such, people tend to have far more specific needs — some may require a certain number of berths, perhaps an onboard kitchen, or more comfortable living space. All this means that doing your research to find the right campervan for you can pay off handsomely — but it also means that supply is more limited. When supply is limited, it is a good idea to book as far in advance as possible so that you know that the campervan you need will be waiting for you when you arrive.
With this in mind, while it isn’t unusual for people to book a hire car the day before they need it, with campervans, people often book their vehicle months in advance. So our advice to you is if you’re planning to rent a campervan, start researching today, and when you find the right campervan for you, book it!
One more point, another way campervan rentals differ from regular cars, is that bookings are not instant. Once you make a campervan booking it will need to be approved by the provider. Yet another reason not to leave your campervan rental until you’re sitting in the airport boarding lounge.
If you’re new to campervans and not sure where to start, please give our campervan rental information page a read as it explains many of the basics you’ll need to know to make an informed decision.
We could start off by telling you that a typical customer hiring a campervan in Tauranga tends to look at campervans with two or four berths (including a toilet and shower). This isn’t really all that helpful though, as they type of campervan you should hire in Tauranga depends very much on the type of campervan you — rather than a typical customer — needs. Consider the following questions:
How big is your travel group? What is your budget? What facilities do you need — or not need? Where are you planning to go? How long for? Knowing the answers to these questions — and plenty more — is the best way to make sure the campervan you hire in Tauranga is the right one for you.
Solo travellers or couples might find a compact campervan to be more than enough, while families — especially those with young kids — or larger groups might prefer a more spacious motorhome with multiple sleeping areas.
Next, consider the facilities you need and the facilities you want. These might sound the same, but they are very different! Basic campervans often include a bed and simple cooking gear, while more luxurious options feature kitchens, bathrooms, and comfortable bedding. For example, if you’re planning on camping, perhaps paying the extra for comfortable beds isn’t really necessary, but if you’re not even packing a tent, then the extra expense required to get more comfortable beds might be a smart choice.
Where you’re going also matters. If you’re planning to just potter around Tauranga and its immediate surrounds, then you could probably get away with a standard campervan. That said, if you’re planning to drive from Tauranga to Auckland — or Dunedin — something more spacious would be a sound investment.
Think about your budget, as campervans vary in cost depending on size, amenities, and rental duration, and while shortening the length of your trip might bring different options within your budget, spending more to get a bigger van may mean you’ll spend even less on hotels. Either way, do the math!
In conclusion, when you’re booking a campervan for pickup from Tauranga, it pays to be honest when considering what you need versus what you want, along with what fits with your budget and overall travel plans. It’s the best way to maximise your chance of getting the perfect campervan for you.
For most rental caravan providers, the minimum age to rent a campervan is the same as for car rentals — 21 years of age. Depending on the campervan rental supplier, those under 21 may only be able to rent certain vehicles. Double check with the campervan rental provider to see what their specific requirements are.
In most cases, you won’t need to present a special type of licence to rent a campervan — you’ll only be asked to present your standard and valid full driving licence. Keep in mind that a probationary, learner permit, or provisional licence are not accepted for campervan hire. If your licence is in a language other than English, you’ll need to provide an International Driving Permit in conjunction with your valid licence. If you’re unsure as to whether your licence will be accepted, you should contact your prospective campervan provider prior to booking.
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