Heading on a camping trip across New Zealand? It’s possible that you’ve started to plan ahead or have been given recommendations by friends – but what you’ll need to know is how to find top-rated campsites, trails and views, insider tips and how to respond to any emergencies (fingers crossed not!).
Here are the best camping apps for New Zealand:
- Rankers Camping
- AllTrails
- Star Chart
- Travellers Autobarn
- Trail Chef
- Offline Survival Manual
- Camping Checklist
- MetService
- First Aid & Emergency
Let’s jump right in.
Best Campsite App: Rankers Camping NZ
No more camping fines? Yes please!
The Ranking Camping app shows you council-approved sites, so it’s perfect for a last-minute adventure, or if your trip involves a spontaneous pitstop.
As a huge advantage over other apps, Rankers Camping allows you to download grounds for offline use, giving you access to a range of nearby sites and points of interest across 2000+ locations. What’s more? You can save your favourites and ensure you’re getting the best spot possible – with sites backed by over 60,000 reviews.
If you’re choosing New Zealand for your next camping adventure, download the Rankers Camping app.
Available on the App Store and Google Play.
Best Track App: AllTrails
Collecting over 100,000 tracks, AllTrails is the ideal app for those that enjoy breaking their sweat and exploring the outdoors.
Backed by a community of 10 million travellers, the app provides an extensive and localised map outlining popular tracks and points of interest. Of course, you don’t have to sweat for each trip – but especially if you’re close to some of South Island’s best camping grounds, you’ll be able to browse popular trails and compare against a range of geo-tagged images.
Grab the latest climate information with live weather maps, fire history and air quality scales, save your favourite trails before you hit a higher altitude, and stay in the right lane with accurate GPS tracking.
Download the AllTrails app on the Google Play Store or App Store.
Best Astronomy App: Star Chart
Ready to make the most of New Zealand’s night sky on your next trip? Star Chart acts as a portable planetarium – simply point your camera at the sky, and you’ll find out all there is to know about our solar system; every planet and every star visible from Earth is all captured in the one app.
From the comfort of your own tent, you can use voice commands like “Take me to Mars”, virtually navigate throughout the solar system, and capture over 120,000 visible stars.
The next time you’re heading to a natural escape with an open view, we recommend you download the Star Chart app – available on Google Play or the App Store.
Best Camping App: Travellers Autobarn
With the latest on camping spots and points-of-interest, the Travellers Autobarn app lets you find campsites ahead of time, or allows you to select based on your current location. You’ll be provided with suggestions on nearby facilities such as ATMs or laundromats, so if you’re in dire straits on an upcoming adventure – this app certainly has you covered.
As well as that, you’ll have the chance to interact with the community hub; add your photos, leave reviews and grab recent updates on local deals relevant to where you’re staying.
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Download the app from Google Play or the App Store.
Best Cooking App: Trail Chef
Once you’ve decided on a camping ground and you’ve settled in, your next thought is probably along the lines of – “what do we have to eat?”.
When you become sick from eating all of those nut-bars, Trail Chef is the best solution for cooking from your tent or ca