‘Pulling up the Tent Pegs?’ The Significance and Changing Status of Coastal Campgrounds in New Zealand

This article considers the importance of beach-front campgrounds in New Zealand, both as physical sites offering affordable public access to coastal environments, and as sites of social and psychological meaning. It traces the evolution of coastal campgrounds from ‘freedom camping’, to more formal (if initially basic) facilities, to the development of relatively up-market holiday parks offering a wide range of services and accommodation options. While camping styles and options changed significantly over the twentieth century, coastal camping itself became valorized as a ‘kiwi tradition’. This mainstay of domestic tourism is widely perceived as an ideal way to use and access the coast. However, as part of a coastal property boom, many campgrounds are at risk of closure, and conversion to residential uses. Drawing on multiple sources of data, we chart the ongoing social and emotional significance of coastal campgrounds in New Zealand. While the immediate effect of closure is the displacement of a discrete number of current campers, the longer-term consequences include lost opportunities for future generations, the destruction of a sense of community, and a loss of place attachment.