Last updated November 2026
Tasman District Council allows freedom camping at three signposted sites in Motueka, about 26 to 29 km from Nelson in a straight line, and runs a free dump station on Marchwood Park Road near the airport.
Motueka Beach Reserve on Everett Street and George Quay Parking on Massey Street are by the waterfront at Port Motueka, and the Decks Reserve car park on Wallace Street is in town.
Between them they have 71 spaces for certified self-contained vehicles, and Motueka Beach Reserve also has three spaces for vehicles that aren’t self-contained. Decks Reserve takes campers on weeknights only. At every site you can stay two nights in a row, on no more than two occasions in a calendar month, and you must leave by 8 am.
Practical Information
- Sites
- Motueka Beach Reserve, George Quay Parking, Decks Reserve car park
- Location
- Port Motueka and Motueka town, Tasman District
- Distance from the city
- About 26 to 29 km from Nelson (straight line)
- Self-contained spaces
- Motueka Beach Reserve 19, George Quay 12, Decks Reserve 40
- Spaces for vehicles that aren’t self-contained
- 3, at Motueka Beach Reserve only
- Maximum stay
- 2 nights in a row, on no more than 2 occasions in a calendar month
- Leave by
- 8 am, unless the site’s signs say otherwise
- Decks Reserve
- Overnight parking (6 pm to 8 am) on weeknights only
- Tents
- Not allowed on public land in Tasman District
- Cost
- Free
About Motueka Freedom Camping
Motueka’s council camping is concentrated in three places. Each site is a signposted or marked area in a council reserve or car park, set out in Schedule 2 of the Tasman District Council Responsible Camping Bylaw 2025, which came into force on 1 November 2025. Spaces are first in, first served, and there is nothing to book.
Two of the sites are at Port Motueka. Motueka Beach Reserve is at 10 Everett Street and George Quay Parking is on Massey Street. The third, Decks Reserve car park, is on Wallace Street in Motueka itself and is the biggest of the three.
The council’s camping page doesn’t describe toilets or other facilities at each site. It asks campers to use the toilet facilities provided and to dispose of all wastewater at a council-approved dump station. Check the council’s site map for each area before you arrive, so you park inside the marked spaces.
The Three Sites
Motueka Beach Reserve
At 10 Everett Street, Motueka Beach Reserve has 19 spaces for certified self-contained vehicles and, in a separate marked area, three for vehicles that aren’t self-contained. It is the only site in Motueka where a vehicle without certification can stay, and those three spaces fill on a first-come basis like the rest.
George Quay Parking
George Quay Parking on Massey Street has 12 spaces for certified self-contained vehicles. The George Quay boat ramp, also on Massey Street, is a no-camping area in the bylaw, so stay in the signed parking area, not on the ramp.
Decks Reserve Car Park
Decks Reserve on Wallace Street has 40 spaces for certified self-contained vehicles, but overnight parking (6 pm to 8 am) is allowed on weeknights only. Only part of the car park is set aside for camping: the bylaw makes the rest of council land in Motueka township a no-camping area.
Rules under the Tasman Bylaw
At all three sites the limit is two consecutive nights, on no more than two separate occasions in any calendar month. The bylaw counts a “location” as anywhere within 500 m of where you camped, so moving less than 500 m away counts as staying in the same place. Leave by 8 am unless the site’s signs give another time.
Park legally inside a single marked space and keep your gear within it. No fires are allowed unless the council has provided a place for them, all waste has to go in a proper receptacle, and the site must be left clean and tidy. Tents and other temporary structures are not allowed on public land anywhere in Tasman District.
A self-contained vehicle needs a valid certificate of self-containment. Under the national rules that took over after 7 June 2026, that means the green warrant, and a fixed toilet; the old blue sticker no longer counts. The council can issue a $400 fine for breaking the rules, and it says it actively enforces them.
Dump Station and Waste
The council’s free dump station for Motueka is at 28 Marchwood Park Road, at the western end of the road near the airport, off Queen Victoria Street.
Sewage, toilet waste and grey water must go to a council-approved dump station: the council warns that disposing of it anywhere else can lead to an instant fine or prosecution. Bag your rubbish and take it to a Resource Recovery Centre or an approved bin, and recycling can be dropped off free.
Where to Learn More
Tasman District Council: Responsible freedom camping: the current rules, site maps for each Motueka area, dump stations and the council’s camping map.
Tasman District Council: Responsible camping bylaw: the full Responsible Camping Bylaw 2025, with every restricted and no-camping area.
Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board: Self-contained vehicles: how certification and the green warrant work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I freedom camp in Motueka?
At three signposted council sites: Motueka Beach Reserve on Everett Street, George Quay Parking on Massey Street and the Decks Reserve car park on Wallace Street.
How many nights can I stay?
Two nights in a row, on no more than two separate occasions in any calendar month, and you must leave by 8 am.
Can I camp in a vehicle that isn’t self-contained?
Only in the three marked spaces for non-self-contained vehicles at Motueka Beach Reserve.
Can I camp at Decks Reserve at the weekend?
No. Overnight parking there, from 6 pm to 8 am, is allowed on weeknights only.
Can I pitch a tent?
No. Tasman District Council does not allow freedom camping in a tent on public land.
Where is the dump station?
At 28 Marchwood Park Road near Motueka’s airport, off Queen Victoria Street. It’s free.
Can I camp at the George Quay boat ramp?
No. The boat ramp is a no-camping area. Use the signed George Quay Parking spaces instead.
What is the fine for breaking the rules?
The council can issue a $400 fine under the Freedom Camping Act or the Reserves Act.
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