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6ththJune June2014 2017 27 Jan--12 3rdth Feb
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A decade ago, my husband and I observed a shocking amount of poo and toilet paper littering roadside rest areas around Queenstown. My friend and I made up a slogan, (relevant at the time as Britz Campers were one of the first to introduce smaller campervans and cars)—No Britz Shitz! Our sign depicted a little stick man crouching for a number two, encircled with a big red strike through him. Ten years later, we still have the same problem and the problem doesn’t seem to be getting addressed. Naturally, we could leap to the conclusion that camper cars are to blame as most of them are not certified self-contained and if they are, it’s probably just a convenient label as people usually choose not to utilise the car’s toilet facilities—let’s face it, emptying the ablutions is distasteful and requires regular dumping stations; let alone driving around with the cargo on board. Whether these under-equipped campers are to blame or not, we have a situation: New Zealanders find it offensive to run into piles of smelly human excrement when out enjoying their environment. Tourists require more facilities in order to travel independently in cars or campers without making a mess. I think it’s fair to say there are many considerate tourists who tidy up after themselves and leave no footprint as they travel. By the same token there are undoubtedly some very inconsiderate unclean New Zealanders. Whichever way we look at it, we are in need of more facilities. Let’s take a look at some statistics (it appears the last good ones were based on 2011, excluding Rugby World Cup numbers at the time). There were 53,710 camper rentals by overseas guests, equating to 116,776 individuals, each staying an average of 15.8 nights. This equals a whopping 1.845 million overseas visitor nights in campers over that year. That’s a lot of poo! However, 89% of those nights were spent in paid campsites, so whether rental vehicles were self-contained or not, there were probably facilities available. That still leaves 198,000 nights in unpaid sites, which we could probably assume have no toilets… or minimally serviced facilities. And we can assume numbers have increased since these figures were released five years ago. Where are these campers doing their business now?
Beth Souter, Hannah Barnes, Lea Henry and Donna Findlay at the nood pop-up store at Remarkables Park on Saturday. (Photo: Jodi Walters)
Phở /Fuh/
Interestingly in 2016, Christchurch banned freedom campers without on-board toilets in five camp sites due to the unsanitary condition and over-use of these sites. There were concerns from some about turning away potential revenue with this decision. Others didn’t think it was worth it. The revenue from campervan tourists is significant. In 2011, total revenue was $374 million: $153 million on camper rental costs and $222 million on goods/ services other than the camper. Some tourists do travel on a shoestring budget but their money still rolls in somewhere: if they save on a campsite, they will inevitably spend it on food, drink or activities.
noun 1. a magical soup made of beef, broth and rice noodle 2. heralded as the best hangover cure known to mankind ~ caveday.com
So we want the money from rental car and camper tourism but not the mess? Campers and self-drivers want more facilities. Surely the car rental companies, who are creaming the cash by pouring out vehicles lacking adequate facilities on board could contribute. Councils should increase allocations in their budgets and an environmental levy from incoming tourists (long discussed in Queenstown but not implemented), could all equate to enough money to provide and regularly maintain extra conveniences—from long-drops in rest areas to toilets, water taps and decent bins in freedom camping sites. We need to start saying NO to roadside poo and YES to infrastructure in New Zealand!
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