Unless you’ve been living off-grid on a desert island for the past few days, you’ll have heard the New Zealand government have just introduced strict new travel restrictions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

As of 16 March, anyone arriving into New Zealand must now self-isolate for the first 14 days

Here at Epic Campers, we’ve been inundated with messages from people trying to understand what self-isolation means and whether they can come to NZ and do this in a self-contained campervan.

If you’re planning a trip to NZ, we want to do everything we can to help you self-isolate and still enjoy your holiday, so we’ve put together this post to help you understand the rules and make an informed decision before you travel.

The situation is evolving fast and at the time of writing, we haven’t found any official information saying self-isolation in a campervan is not allowed. We also have customers who have recently arrived in NZ and are self-isolating in one of our campervans.

We're happy for our campervans to be used by our customers for self-isolation, provided they follow the rules and help protect our nation from the spread of this horrible disease.

What exactly does self-isolation mean?

The full advice from the government can be found here, but essentially it means taking common sense steps to avoid close contact with other people as much as possible (apart from anyone you've travelled here with).

This means avoiding any situation where you might have face-to-face contact closer than 2 meters for more than 15 minutes.

Where can I stay in a campervan?

With NZ's low population density of just 18 people per square km and reduced numbers of tourists due to the virus, we reckon you'll have no trouble finding a sweet spot to camp, while avoiding contact with others.

The best bet may be to seek out less-popular places that allow freedom camping. If you arrive at a spot and find it’s busy, you should move on and find somewhere else.

What about kitchen and bathroom facilities?

A self contained campervan like ours will have a fully equipped kitchenette, as well as a toilet and fresh / waste water tanks to last for at least 3 days.

It is important that you use your on-board facilities and do not use shared facilities at campsites during your self-isolation period.

How do I buy food?

Our recommendation is to buy food online using click and collect services at supermarkets, and notify them that you are self isolating and so need to avoid contact when picking up the food. Alternatively you could order a takeaway by phone and get them to leave the food outside their restaurant for you when you are there waiting to collect.

How do I get from the airport to the campervan?

The guidelines state you are allowed to use public transport, including ride-share taxis, for the sole purpose of getting to the place where you will self-isolate. You should avoid travelling at peak times and sit away from others if using public transport.

How will it work when I collect the campervan?

If you're renting an Epic Camper, we'll send you a short instructional video to watch on your phone which explains everything you need to know about the campervan. As always, we will be available via Whatsapp, text and email if you have any questions or issues when you’re on the road.

We’ll also maintain adequate social distance and hygiene practices, so don’t be offended when we keep our distance and sanitise our hands every 5 minutes!

As standard, we maintain an extremely high level of cleanliness in our vehicles. Our procedures adhere to all guidelines provided by official health authorities on COVID-19, and we're monitoring developments closely.

What do I do if I have any symptoms?

It’s important you don’t travel to NZ if you have symptoms. If you develop symptoms while here, contact Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453, and let us know too. The symptoms of COVID-19 are cough, fever, and shortness of breath.

Why choose a campervan for self-isolation?

We believe a self-contained campervan is one of the best options to help travellers follow the self-isolation guidelines for the following reasons:

• You have your own kitchen and toilet facilities on board so can easily avoid using shared facilities

• You can be outside in the open air for much of the time rather than be cooped up in a hotel room

• The costs are much lower than living in a hotel room

• You can travel to different parts of the country, without having to come into close contact with anyone else

Disclaimer: This is our best interpretation of the guidelines as at 17 March 2020. Please ensure you check the ministry of health’s website yourself for more recent developments.

Epic Campers is a an independent owner-operated company with a small fleet of modern, self-contained 2-berth campervans. We offer rentals from Auckland, and sometimes Christchurch. 

Check us out at www.epiccampers.co.nz  get an instant quote here, or feel free to drop us an email direct to: hq@epiccampers.co.nz