
Start your trip in Queenstown
Quirky Campers connects you with privately owned, handcrafted campervans based in the Queenstown lakes area. Every hire includes comprehensive insurance, 24/7 AA roadside assistance, unlimited kilometres and a personal handover from the van owner.
✓ Real vans, real character
No depot and no anonymous fleet vehicle. Choose a one-of-a-kind campervan designed and cared for by its owner.
✓ Queenstown-wide collection
Pick up directly from the owner’s home. Your exact address and handover details are confirmed before travel.
✓ Freedom to explore without limits
Head over the Crown Range, out to Glenorchy or down toward Fiordland without kilometre limits, and ask about one-way hire if your trip finishes elsewhere.
Happy campers hiring in Queenstown
Independent Google reviews from people who have travelled with Quirky Campers NZ.

WHY START IN QUEENSTOWN?
Alpine adventure. Spectacular views from everywhere.
Queenstown is simply a stunning place to start your South Island campervan adventure.
Queenstown Airport works as an international gateway in its own right, not just a domestic connection.
Direct flights land from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Air New Zealand, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia. For travellers coming from Australia, that makes Queenstown a genuine alternative for the start of a New Zealand road trip.
Collect from your van owner and get comfortable with your chosen camper. Then tackle alpine peaks, historic gold country, a mirror-still lake or the road to the epic Milford Sound.

DISTINCTIVE QUEENSTOWN DAYS
48 hours in Queenstown: A simple plan
After your personal handover, stock up locally, then pick the Queenstown experience that suits the weather, your energy and the direction of your wider trip.
01

Get up above the lake
Take the Skyline Gondola up to Bob’s Peak for views over Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables, then add the luge if you want a faster way down. For a calmer alternative, cruise the lake on the vintage TSS Earnslaw steamship to Walter Peak High Country Farm.
02

Chase the adrenaline
Queenstown is the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping at the Kawarau Bridge, and jet boats run tight canyon routes on the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers most of the year. Book ahead in summer, the popular operators sell out.
03

Wander historic Arrowtown
Drive 20 minutes to Arrowtown, a gold-rush town of preserved miners’ cottages, an avenue of autumn trees and good cafes. It’s an easy, relaxed afternoon before you head back to Queenstown for dinner and settle into campervan pace.
TRAVEL DIFFERENTLY
Easy first nights in Queenstown
If you’re collecting your campervan straight off the plane in Queenstown, the airport sits close to town, so you won’t lose much time before you’re settled.
Driftaway Queenstown, on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Frankton, is minutes from the terminal and an easy first stop after a flight.
Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park is a similarly easy option closer to the town centre, if you’d rather walk to the town’s vibrant restaurants, bars and the lakefront on your first night.
Prefer to freedom camp? You can, in a Quirky certified self-contained campervan, at one of the district’s designated carparks (more on where below).

Good to know before you go
One-way hire options and note on roads around Queenstown
Because every Quirky van is privately owned, one-way hires need to cover the cost of getting the van home. We also need to check in with our owners to make sure they can accommodate collecting the vehicle.
For our vans in Queenstown, indicative one-way fees for Christchurch are around $700 and Auckland, $2,000.
For longer trips, some travellers prefer a South Island loop from Queenstown, then a flight north to pick up a second van for a North Island loop. It’s often no more expensive than the one-way fee, and you get two different campervans out of the trip.
Please talk to us first if you are interested in a one-way option.
Roads to plan around
A handful of routes near Queenstown are off-limits for our vans. Unsealed 4×4 roads are hard on a campervan, so are not covered by insurance: Skippers Canyon Road, the unsealed section of Glenorchy-Paradise Road, Mount Aspiring Road out of Wanaka, and Ball Hut Road at Aoraki/Mount Cook. Plan your route around them before you hit the road.
Also worth noting, the Crown Range and Lindis Pass suffer from black ice, making driving treacherous at times in winter and early spring. Always check conditions before you head off and drive with care – we want all our travellers to have a great time and get back in one piece.
Freedom camping around Queenstown
While Quirky’s campers are certified for freedom camping, be warned: NZ’s freedom camping rules can be complex! They vary by region, change frequently, and rangers do enforce them. Queenstown Lakes issued more than 1,600 freedom camping fines in a single year, so please be kind to your pocket and read up before you park up ;).
Under the district’s Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025, certified self-contained vehicles can stay at one of 15 designated carparks around the district, including sites in Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown and Glenorchy, for a maximum of two nights per location. On-street parking in town is not permitted. Fines start at $400.
For more details, see Queenstown Lakes District Council’s responsible camping rules and map. We also recommend the Rankers or CamperMate apps, which are great for planning ahead.
QUICK ANSWERS FOR QUEENSTOWN HIRERS
Queenstown campervan hire FAQs
Where do I collect my campervan in Queenstown?
At the campervan owner’s home. Queenstown collection points vary by vehicle and may be central, in Frankton, or out toward Arrowtown and Glenorchy. The listing shows the approximate location before booking, and the exact address is confirmed before your trip.
Can I collect a campervan directly from Queenstown Airport?
Possibly, but it would be subject to owner approval and an additional fee. Quirky Campers has no airport depot as each campervan is privately owned. Queenstown Airport is about 8 km from the town centre, in Frankton; an Uber, taxi or shuttle bus connection is normally the simplest option.
What is included with Queenstown campervan hire?
Every booking includes comprehensive insurance, 24/7 AA roadside assistance and unlimited kilometres. Each camper also comes with all the cookware you need, plus bedding and towels at no additional cost.
Can I stay off grid in a campervan from Queenstown?
Yes, Quirky Campers NZ vans are set up for off-grid travel, and many of our Queenstown vans include solar panels, leisure batteries, and inverters that keep your lights, fridge, water pump, phones, and laptops running without needing a powered campsite. The exact off-grid duration depends on the specific van’s setup (battery capacity, solar size, fridge load, and the time of year), and is detailed on each individual van profile.
What happens if my Queenstown flight is delayed and I’m late for my pick-up?
We understand international travel doesn’t always go to plan. If your flight to Queenstown is delayed, please contact your van owner directly as soon as possible (their phone number will be on your booking confirmation). Quirky NZ owners are generally flexible and will do their best to accommodate a later collection, including evening pick-ups where reasonable. If a same-day handover isn’t possible, we’ll work with you and the owner to arrange collection the following morning. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss specific arrangements.

Plan with confidence
Useful reading before you collect your campervan in Queenstown.
Driving a campervan in New Zealand: what it’s really like
by James O’Hern
In short: Driving a campervan in New Zealand is easier than most first-time visitors expect, and it’s one of the best ways to experience
Is it safe to hire a campervan in New Zealand? How Quirky Campers NZ protects you on the road
by James O’Hern
In short: Every campervan in the Quirky Campers NZ fleet meets the same safety and compliance standards as the largest commercial campervan operators in
Campervan insurance with Quirky Campers NZ: explained
by James O’Hern
In short: Every Quirky Campers NZ booking includes fully comprehensive insurance with Vero and 24/7 AA roadside assistance as standard. We offer three protection
Choose your Queenstown-based soul mate of a camper
Each Queenstown campervan comes decked out with its own unique personality. So check availability, find your perfect match and book your ideal travel companion today!