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10 New Zealand Product Testing Companies That Want Your Feedback

What if you could have some of the perks of being rich and famous, without the effort?

Sadly, we’re not talking about the mansions – but just like a celebrity, you can get companies to send you free products to try, and use your opinions to influence brands.

Product testing in New Zealand seems too good to be true, but there really are companies who are eager to send you products to try in exchange for your thoughts.

You give them your details, fill in some personal information – and then wait for your free items!

Here are some great options for Kiwis who have opinions to share and don’t mind getting some free stuff.

Table of Contents

What is product testing?

Who can become a product tester, 1. octopus exclusive groups, 2. social soup, 3. mouths of mums, 4. black box, 5. home tester club, 6. prime research, 8. pureprofile, 9. valued opinions, 10. beauty review, making the most of product testing.

There are plenty of ideas that seem great in a boardroom, but don’t work when they get released to the public.

There is a long list of development, quality, and marketing checks that a product needs to go through before it hits the shelves – but none of that matters if no one actually buys it!

At different stages through the process, you can get involved with giving your opinion on things like whether the packaging appeals to you, how much you would be willing to pay, and whether you’d buy the product.

There are plenty of sites dedicated to getting your opinion during these stages.

The final stage is sending the final product out to be tried by potential future customers.

The trial participants will send through their thoughts, influencing the final stages of marketing – companies sometimes even gather direct quotes to use in their marketing materials.

You’re unlikely to get rewards or additional payments for product testing.

Normally, the product itself is the reward. But it’s still a pretty good deal.

You try a product and say what you think of it, the company gets feedback and some free marketing when you tell your friends and family – it’s win-win!

They’re geared towards the person who makes household purchases, and some have special groups to target – mums are a big one.

But in general, if you’re an adult who has some influence on what products your household uses, you’re in with a chance.

You’ll need to fill out your profile information first, as it’s how they decide who is the best fit to receive a product.

They might be after a specific group or looking for a broad cross-section of the population, so the more information you give the more likely you’ll be included.

You should get involved in as many as possible to increase your chances.

There’s no guarantee of what you’ll get or how much, but for free products to try (and the associated savings), it’s worth signing up.

The Best Product Testing Sites for New Zealanders

Here are some of the best product trial opportunities for New Zealanders to try:

Octopus Group offer product testing in the form of Exclusive Groups.

Exclusive groups are a more focused approach to research, which take various forms such as online forums, taste testing, and product trials.

A select number of members are invited to participate in these groups, and a screener survey is conducted to ensure the right audience is selected.

Participants are expected to provide their opinions and feedback on products, which may involve daily participation for a few days or months, or attending a group at a specific time and location.

The incentives for participating in exclusive groups are high because the activities are quality-driven and require extra responsibilities, such as providing contact details and participating in moderated forums.

You will be able to tell if the opportunity is an Exclusive Group after completing a screener survey and if the survey states an incentive of less than $1, it is most likely an exclusive group.

(This is because the higher pay is disclosed after a participant advances past the screener survey).

Participants do not need to worry about their details as the client agrees to non-disclosure, which means that their details will only be used to contact them for the named exclusive group, and their details will be deleted after the group has been completed. 

You’ll need to become a member of Octopus Group to qualify for Exclusive Groups. 

Social Soup specialise in product trials, with a large panel of “soupers” signed up to receive goods and give their opinions.

Signing up is as easy as downloading the app on either Android or iPhone, completing your profile, and waiting to be selected.

If you’re big on social media, you might sign up as a Creator – in exchange for featuring products on your posts, you’ll receive different items to try.

While it has an Australian web address, Mouths of Mums is actively looking for mums to complete product testing NZ-wide. 

A site dedicated to reviewing parenting products, Mouths of Mums teams up with brands related to raising kids, and sends samples to members.

You can sign up online, and then get reviewing.

If you like to share your experiences, Black Box is for you.

In addition to a site for members to share about any products that stand out to them, there is an option to sign up to potentially receive a box of free items to try and then review.

There is a free option with no guarantees, or you could choose to pay $38 per year to guarantee you will receive one box and be at the top of the list for any others you might qualify for.

The Home Tester Club emphasises honest opinions – they really want to hear what you think, and will publish your thoughts regardless of whether you loved or hated a product.

Sign up is easy. The Club offers weekly prizes and incentives to keep reviewing, and you could find products showing up in your letterbox to try.

Instead of the products coming to you, with Prime Research you’ll go to them.

Specialising in focus groups and sensory/ product testing, you could be invited to a hosted event to get your opinions for a brand or product.

It will typically take between 30 – 90 minutes of your time, but you’ll be compensated for the extra effort – most studies pay between $50-$150.

A thriving community of parents who come for the reviews, giveaways and articles, Kidspot also offer product trials for families who like to try new things.

The sign-up form is found on their website, and while you’re waiting you can try your luck at a competition or engage with the community.

While they’re primarily a survey-based market research group, Pureprofile also offers the occasional product trial for its members.

You’ll be selected based on your demographics – as always, it’s very important to keep your profile information up to date.

You can focus on earning points to turn into rewards as an extra way to get some perks, in addition to any product trials you might be invited to.

True to their name, Valued Opinions are all about getting consumer feedback on products they use.

Members earn points for their opinions by completing surveys, watching ads, and other tasks within the site. They also offer product trials, but there’s no guarantee when or if you’ll be invited to participate.

Signing up is easy – complete the online form, verify your email address, and you can start earning.

Product trial participants will be selected based on their profile information, so it’s essential to keep it up to date.

Valued Opinions also offer surveys, and rate highly on our list of top New Zealand survey sites .

If you love health and beauty products, this is the site for you.

Sign-up is free, and instead of waiting for free products to arrive, you can earn them – reviewing products and being active on the site will earn you points.

10 points equal to $1 off a product from the Beauty Vault, which opens periodically to allow members to spend their points, so you can select your own free products.

You can also join the Expert Review Panel, which is where the product trials come in.

Anyone can apply to join, and if accepted, you’ll be receiving free beauty products to trial, just in exchange for a review.

It’s best to maximise your chances by keeping your details up to date, staying active in the community, and making 100% sure that you submit great reviews on time so you’re considered for the next round.

It does sound too good to be true, but as the thousands of Kiwi mums who are receiving free products in the mail can agree – for a small amount of time and effort, it’s a simple way to find yourself on the fun side of market research.

Related guides:

• 20 Ways to Make Money as a Stay-at-Home Mum
• 17 Lucrative Ways to Make Money Online in New Zealand
• 10 Trade Me Selling Tips To Make More Money
• 10 Easy Ways to Earn Free Gift Cards in New Zealand
• How to Become a Mystery Shopper in New Zealand
• 15 Places to Get Free Samples in New Zealand

About Emma Healey

Emma is a recognised family finance and budgeting expert and founder of Mum's Money. Her advice has been featured in Stuff, NZHerald, Readers Digest, Yahoo Finance, Lifehacker, The Simple Dollar, MSN Money and more.

Looking for reviews and comparisons about any type of product online – whether it’s KiwiSaver, electricity, broadband, home loan, buying a car, new whiteware, or a mobile phone – can be challenging. The good news is there are some informative websites out there to educate and help Kiwis make great consumer choices.

We’ve put together an article on some of the best, independent online resources, including Canstar vs Consumer NZ vs Glimp vs Moneyhub vs NZ Compare and what you can potentially use them for.

Canstar is known for its review and ratings of financial services products. From home loans to credit cards to Kiwisaver chances are you will have come across their logo or award badge from your bank or non-bank financial services provider proudly displaying it on their website or letters if they have been awarded five stars for the category in which they were rated for.

If you’re looking to compare financial services products whether it is a home loan, or a Kiwisaver fund, or credit card, Canstar can be useful. Reviews and ratings are also specific to product types – for example, Fixed Home Loans or Low Rate Credit Cards. So you can be specific with what you’re looking for and narrow down the relevant product and provider quickly.

For example with Kiwisaver, you enter in your fund balance and the type of fund you are interested in (e.g. conservative or aggressive) and the results will show multiple Kiwisaver providers and how much fund fees you will have to pay and also the performance across various funds over different time periods. This is the same experience across personal loans, home loans and bank accounts.

The site provides you with quality ratings – from one to five stars. Canstar uses a formula to turn the research across prices and features to determine the number of star ratings it gives out.

While it is easy for consumers to look at the star ratings for each provider based on the category, it will require the user to dive into the methodology to understand how they have come to the conclusion and ratings. The comparison and ratings on insurance, and also the more recent Canstar Blue offering on consumer products which includes electricity, broadband, mobile phone plans and more, is not as in-depth and informative as with the level of detail they provide on banking products.

We think you should use Canstar for a quick comparison of features across banking products.

Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ  is a non-profit organisation that provides free advice for consumers on a very wide variety of goods and services – to get started, you just need to browse the homepage for what you’re looking for. The site provides a bird’s eye view of different fields in informative articles, and it also highlights and discusses any sweeping or specific problems in quality and in the way customers are treated. Everything from building and renovation, to insurance, gardening products, computers, which brand of washing machine or hair dryer is the most reliable – even how to get out of a gym membership, or which beauty products work the best.

If you’re considering whether to purchase a particular product or service, Consumer NZ may offer you some valuable insight into its benefits but also on the other hand any potential problems or issues you might encounter. This website is great for general information and also ethical and practical questions you may not have considered before.

Consumer NZ is funded by subscriptions which cost between $12-$15 a month, so unfortunately some content is locked unless you sign up. However, there is also a bunch of useful articles and information freely available to the public on the Consumer NZ website.  

If you are in the market for consumer products and looking for independent test and reviews there is plenty of information here for you. Consumer NZ also actively promotes consumer rights and has a comprehensive page covering your rights across buying and selling of products, property, employment and finance.

We think you should use Consumer NZ as a source of independent testing and review of consumer products and services. It is also especially handy for information on your consumer rights.

Glimp  is another popular free website that was created to provide price comparisons for utilities, but has expanded into other areas as well. It covers a wide array of broadband deals, mobile plans and power plans – as well as some banking, car insurance, KiwiSaver and food deals. You can use Glimp to look for the best bargains when it comes to vehicle hire, and even wedding venue hire – and even compare services such as lawyers, dentists and hairdressers in your area.

The experience is relatively easy when comparing and finding the best deal on the site. For example, when looking for power deals, you simply answer a few simple questions about how many people are in your household, how you heat your home and water, source of power for your cooking, your current provider and your address. You are then asked for your contact details before the results are shown. In our test, we received six options in the results from Powershop, frank energy, Globug, Mercury, Trust Power and Genesis. From here, you will select the provider you want and you will then be forwarded onto the provider of your choice to complete the purchase. 

Glimp promotes freedom of choice and encourages people to research and find better deals - as you browse, you can see other people using the site switch from one service provider to another one. 

We think you should use Glimp to search for power and broadband deals.

Moneyhub provides comprehensive information about all sorts of financial products, from banking to investing, and it is free to use. It is also a good starting point for a layperson who wants to learn about anything money-related: for instance, it provides information about the ins and outs of different types of loan, and different investment platforms and options. 

Moneyhub breaks topics down in a lot of detail, but it is also clear and easy to read. Often the site’s researchers provide “best buys” for particular products and hypothetical examples of how someone’s individual circumstances will affect how much they pay. To get online quotes tailored to your situation you will have to go elsewhere. The site links to other online comparison tools you can use – if you’re interested in insurance, remember that once you sign up to  Quashed , you can also use the MarketScan tool to get tailored quotes for your home, contents and car insurance, and compare your policy to others out there across prices and features/benefits.

Other segments on the site branches out into comparisons and reviews of topics covering food/groceries, gyms, retirement villages and gift ideas, and also trade and professional services ranging from builders to doggy daycare and pest control.

We think you should use MoneyHub for money related topics, especially investment.

NZ Compare is another popular comparison and deals site that is behind Broadband Compare, Power Compare and Money Compare.

Broadband Compare and Power Compare are more established services with plenty of options and pricing provided for customers to compare and find the best provider and deal for them. To start looking for broadband or power deals, simply enter your address and you’re away. In a few moments, you are presented with pricing deals across different providers giving you an estimate of what you will have to pay for these services each month. From here once you select the provider and deal of your choice, you will be forwarded onto the retailer’s site to complete your purchase. You are asked to enter in your contact details so they can reach out if you require assistance. Overall a straightforward experience that is similar to others in this space e.g. Glimp.

Customers can specify the types of deals they are after i.e. cheapest plans, biggest discounts, highest joining credits and more. Customer feedback across different providers are also displayed as you scroll down the page which is helpful – and it shows the good and the bad ones.

We think you should use NZ Compare when looking for broadband and power deals.

Where do I begin?

If you’re looking to compare broadband and power deals, Glimp and NZ Compare are good places to start your search. If you are purchasing a product or service and want independent testing and review, we think Consumer NZ is the way to go. For financial information, Moneyhub followed by Canstar may be more helpful. You can always use a variety of resources together, and get an overview of your subject before comparing prices and researching which products have the best quality.

If you’re looking for some in-depth and independent information about insurance, Quashed  is a great starting point– once you sign up to Quashed for free, you also get access to Market Scan . This is the first-of-its-kind online insurance scanner that can bring you insurance quotes and a comparison of benefits across multiple insurers in minutes. No other comparison sites can do this. 

On Quashed , if you need help and want to speak to an insurance adviser, you can book a free 30-minute chat at a time that suits you. The platform allows you to store all your existing insurance policies, regardless of who it is with, in one place. It is quick and simple to drop off all your policies and your insurance dashboard is setup in a matter of seconds after.

Finally, while it’s not a comparison site, for some reliable, general advice on budgeting and financial matters,  Sorted  is also a good option. This site is run by the Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, and provides New Zealanders with tips on savings and using their money wisely, and has some great and detailed articles.

Suite E, 18 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622, New Zealand

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Browse 103,000+ nz travel reviews here, land activities.

• Walking and Trekking 11,752 reviews
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• Camping Grounds / Holiday Parks 24,712 reviews
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• Motorhomes / Campervans / RV 12,728 reviews
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• Buses and Coaches 499 reviews
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9 Best Hosting Providers for New Zealand Websites in 2024

Short on Time? These Are the Best Web Hosts for New Zealand in 2024:

• What We Tested in Ranking the Best Web Hosts for New Zealand
• Features. We made sure you’ll have enough storage space and bandwidth for your website, but we also looked for other must-have features like an SSL certificate, integrated caching, and automatic backups.
• Ease of use.  From choosing a plan, to signing up, to launching a site, everything should be clear and simple. We’ve highlighted hosts that kept it that way.
• Performance.  We tested each host’s page loading speed, global performance, and uptime over the course of several months. We used a regular landing page website to run these benchmarks for the most accurate results.
• Support.  Our team contacted each provider through live chat, tickets, and phone, where possible. We rated these interactions based on the host’s response times, helpfulness, and general availability.
• Pricing.  Headline prices can be deceiving. We dug a little deeper to find hidden costs, missing features, or steep renewal policies that could sneak up on you later.

1. Hostinger: Budget-Friendly Hosting With Excellent Performance 1

• LiteSpeed web server.  Compared to the older Apache server software that most hosts still use, LiteSpeed is faster and more stable during periods of heavy traffic. I saw this first-hand while testing Hostinger’s performance.
• Built-in caching. The LiteSpeed cache manager is integrated into Hostinger’s dashboard, so it’s easy to find and activate. Caching your site’s static assets can speed up page loading significantly.
• Managed WordPress features. If you opt for the Premium WordPress plan, Hostinger will back up your site on a weekly basis (for just a dollar more, you can opt for the Business plan with daily backups). The provider will also patch your WordPress core installation and plugins for you, so you won’t have to worry about outdated (and potentially vulnerable) software.
• Professional email. Having an email address “@yourdomain” can help you better define your brand. You can create up to 100 email addresses (with a maximum mailbox size of 1 GB) on all three shared hosting plans.

2. InterServer: Unlimited Resources With Cheap & Flexible Monthly Billing 1

• Softaculous auto-installer. Using this nifty little tool, you can easily install more than 400 scripts for your website (including WordPress). You can also set up automatic updates for your CMS and plugins.
• Underloaded servers. When you share a server with hundreds of other customers, performance tends to fluctuate based on how much traffic these neighboring users are getting on their websites. InterServer mitigates this issue by only utilizing 50% of available resources by hosting considerably fewer users per machine.
• LiteSpeed technology.  Like Hostinger, InterServer uses the LiteSpeed web server to speed up your website. The LiteSpeed cache manager is also available, which makes it super-easy to set up caching – just switch it on.
• Managed security. InterServer’s InterShield Security suite includes SSL certificates, automatic weekly backups, a malware scanner, a machine-learning firewall, and a hack-fix guarantee. That’s a lot of stuff you no longer have to worry about.

3. Kinsta: Premium Managed WordPress Hosting for High-Traffic Sites 1

• Managed caching. You don’t have to install or configure any speed boosting software. Kinsta offers edge caching, which loads cached content from multiple data centers near your website visitor. And if my tests are any indication, this can improve your site loading speeds by up to 49% with minimal setup.
• Built-in security. Aside from giving you a free SSL certificate, Kinsta sets up DDoS protection and other security measures by default. If your WordPress website is somehow hacked, Kinsta will also work to clean it up and restore it for you for free.
• Automatic scaling. Instead of throttling your bandwidth during periods of intense traffic, Kinsta allocates more resources to your account at nominal fees. Your website continues to run smoothly, and you only pay overage fees for what you use.
• Expert support. Kinsta focuses exclusively on WordPress, and offers in-depth support for this CMS. English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese-speaking a gents are available 24/7 through live chat and phone. I never had to wait for more than a minute to get a reply.

4. FastComet: Low-Cost Hosting With Guaranteed Resources and a Data Center Near New Zealand 1

• Advanced caching.  Varnish, Memcached, and other PHP accelerators are built into the most expensive plan. Lower-tier plans also include a few basic optimizations, but I recommend FastCloud Extra if speed is important to you.
• Simple website builder.  You don’t need to use WordPress if you just want a simple landing page or portfolio. FastComet has a free drag-and-drop website builder with lots of themes that’ll help you get started.
• Automatic app updates.  Softaculous is included in all FastComet plans, which means that you can set up automatic updates for WordPress or any other script in its repository.
• BitNinja security.  You get protection against DDoS, malware, and brute force attacks in addition to the free SSL certificate already provided. FastComet configures BitNinja at the server level, so you don’t have to deal with it yourself.

5. HostArmada: Cloud-Based Hosting for High Performance 1

• Backup library. HostArmada offers daily backups and will keep anywhere from 7 to 21 versions for you depending on your plan. Not only will you be able to access these backups in the event that your site becomes compromised, but you’ll also be free to restore any version you want.
• High-level security. HostArmada implements various security measures, and incorporates most of these features even on the entry-level plans. The measures include a web application firewall (WAF), daily backups, free SSL certificates, and malware scanning and removal.
• Cache Commander. HostArmada’s proprietary Cache Commander offers fast loading times. With its easy-to-use interface, you can manage and optimize your website’s cache settings for maximum performance.
• Round-the-clock customer support. HostArmada provides 24/7 customer support via live chat, ticketing system, and phone, making it ideal for the new or less experienced site owner.

6. VpsCity: The Fastest New Zealand Host, but No Free SSL 1

• Optimized servers. VpsCity uses the LiteSpeed web server, allowing for the use of LSCache plugins for most popular CMSs to quickly deliver your website to visitors. I’m not surprised its performance is right up there with the best international hosts.
• cPanel control panel. It may not be the most user-friendly solution, but it gets the job done. It also includes Softaculous, allowing you to easily install your favorite CMS and schedule automatic updates.
• Flexible VPS hosting with ECO servers. If you need a little more power, you can deploy a VPS instance in minutes with VPSCity’s affordable VPS hosting. Choose from a Linux or Windows environment, customize your number of vCPUs, RAM, and storage, and choose add-ons like additional backups and IP addresses. You can even choose your level of management.
• Great support.  VpsCity is one of the few local providers that offer 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support. When I asked for help, the agents were polite, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic.

• Other Notable Web Hosts for New Zealand

7. Crazy Domains 1

8. 1st Domains 1

9. WebhostingNZ 1

• Which Host Should You Choose for Your New Zealand Website?
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• Our Testing Process in Detail

Ease of Use

Performance, which is the best host for new zealand, do i need a host with data centers in new zealand, which is the cheapest web host in new zealand, which host is best for e-commerce websites in new zealand.

• 1. Hostinger: Budget-Friendly Hosting With Excellent Performance
• 2. InterServer: Unlimited Resources With Cheap & Flexible Monthly Billing
• 3. Kinsta: Premium Managed WordPress Hosting for High-Traffic Sites
• 4. FastComet: Low-Cost Hosting With Guaranteed Resources and a Data Center Near New Zealand
• 5. HostArmada: Cloud-Based Hosting for High Performance
• 6. VpsCity: The Fastest New Zealand Host, but No Free SSL

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Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots 🤓

Blog – Posted on Tuesday, Sep 24

Get paid to read: 18 legitimate sites that pay reviewers.

Serious question: do you want to get paid to read? You might laugh it off at first, thinking that that sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. You can get paid for spending time on what you love: reading books. 

Of course, the key to this #hack is book reviewing, where you offer your personal opinion of a book after you’re done with it. (If you’d like to learn more, check out this post to discover how to write a book review .) Because books are constantly being published, book reviewers are generally always in demand. 

So whether you’re a voracious reader of nonfiction, genre fiction, classics, or indie books, there’s probably an outlet that’s willing to compensate you if you read (review) for them! Without further ado, here’s a definitive list of the 17 sites that will help you get paid to read. If you want to cut to the chase and find out which of them is the right fit for you, we recommend first taking this quick quiz:

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Then read on for the full list of all of the ways to get paid while reading!

 1. Kirkus Media

💸 Pay: Freelance basis

👀 More information: Check here

If you’ve ever lingered on a book’s Amazon page before, you’ll have heard of Kirkus Reviews. It’s one of the most respected sources of book reviews out there, publishing many of the blurbs that you’ll see on Amazon, or on the cover of your favorite titles.

You have to wonder: where do all of these reviews come from? That’s where you come into the picture. Kirkus Media lists an open application for book reviewers. As of right now, they’re specifically searching for people who will review English and Spanish-language indie titles. Some of the qualities that they want in reviewers include: experience, a keen eye, and an ability to write about a 350-word review in two weeks’ time.

To apply, simply send your resume and writing samples! You can find out more about this opportunity here .

2. Reedsy Discovery

💸 Pay: Tip basis

A powerhouse in the world of indie books, Reedsy Discovery gives book reviewers the chance to read the latest self-published books before anyone else. You can browse through hundreds of new stories before picking one that piques your interest. And if you’ve built up a brand as a book reviewer on Reedsy Discovery, you can liaise with authors who contact you directly for a review.

Its application process is pretty simple: just complete this form to be selected as a book reviewer. Once you’re accepted, you can start looking through the shelves and reading immediately. One more thing: book reviewers can get tips for their book reviews. Readers can send $1, $3, or $5 as a token of appreciation (which, let’s be honest, all book reviewers deserve more of).

If this system intrigues you, you can “discover” more about how it works on this page .

3. Any Subject Books

Any Subject Books is a full-suite self-publishing service. More importantly for you, it hires book reviewers on a book-by-book basis to help them review new books.

They’re big on in-depth, honest, and objective reviews. No fluff here! They’re also happy to give you books in your preferred genres, so if you’re a voracious reader of war fiction, you won’t typically be asked to read the latest paranormal romance hit (or vice versa).

Sadly, Any Subject Books is not currently open to book reviewer applications, but check back again — this could change at any time.

4. BookBrowse

BookBrowse reviews both adult fiction and nonfiction, and some books for young adults. The site focuses on books that are not only enjoyable to read, with great characters and storylines, but that also leave the reader knowing something about the world they did not before. Reviewers also write a "beyond the book" article for each book they review.

5. Online Book Club

💸 Pay: $5 to $60

Online Book Club’s FAQ begins with a warning for all aspiring book reviewers: “First of all, this is not some crazy online get-rich-quick scheme. You won't get rich and you won't be able to leave your day job.”

That daunting reminder aside, Online Book Club’s setup is pretty reasonable, not to mention straightforward. You’ll get a free copy of the book and you’ll get paid for your review of that book. Moreover, it’s one of the few sites that’s transparent about their payment rates (anywhere between $5 to $60). To begin the sign-up process, simply submit your email here .

6. U.S. Review of Books

U.S. Review of Books is a nation-wide organization that reviews books of all kinds and publishes those reviews in a popular monthly newsletter. The way that it works for a book reviewer is simple: when a book title is posted, reviewers can request to read it and get assigned.

A typical review for U.S. Review of Books is anywhere between 250 and 300 words. They are looking particularly for informed opinions and professionalism in reviews, along with succinctness. To apply, submit a resume, sample work, and two professional references via email. But we’d recommend that you check out some previous examples of their book reviews here to first get a better sense of what they’re looking for.

7. Women’s Review of Books

💸 Pay: $100 per review

Women’s Review of Books is a long-running, highly-respected print publication that’s a part of Wellesley Centers for Women. This feminist magazine has been published for 36 years and is looking for more book reviewers to join their force.

If you plan on writing reviews for Women’s Review of Books , you should be aware that its reviews are published “in the service of action and consciousness.” Most of its writers are also academics, journalists, or book reviewers with some years of experience behind them. If you meet these qualifications and are accepted, you’ll be compensated $100 per review.

To pitch then a review, send them an email with a quick proposal. For more details, click here .

8. eBookFairs

eBookFairs primarily helps authors grow their author platforms, but it also has a Paid Book Reader program where readers can earn money by, you guessed it, reviewing the books listed on their site.

Note that they do have clear instructions on what qualifies as a review, so do read their guidelines carefully before applying to make sure you can meet them. For instance, the review must be at least 250 words, you must allow at least 3 days between reviews submitted, and it must provide helpful feedback for the author. There are also a limited number of paid reader positions available.

💸 Pay: Variable

If you’re a freelancer, you’re probably already familiar with Upwork! One of the biggest marketplaces for freelancers, Upwork has fingers in every industry’s pie. So it won’t be a surprise to learn that people who are looking for freelance book reviewers regularly post listings on its marketplace.

Because each job caters to an individual client, the requirements and qualifications will differ. It might be a one-time project, or the gig might turn into a long-running collaboration with the client. Generally, the listing will specify the book’s genre, so you’ll know what you’re getting before you agree to collaborate with the client on the other end.

To begin, you’ll need to sign up as a freelancer on Upwork. Find out more information on Upwork’s FAQ page!

10. Moody Press

💸 Pay: Free ARCs

Moody Press is a nonprofit publishing house of Christian titles and Bible study resources. If this is your niche, you’ll definitely be interested in Moody Press’ Blogger Review Program! As part of the program, you’ll get free copies of book published by Moody Press.

Like some of the other programs on this list, you won’t get paid for your review, but you will get a free book. Moody Press also asks you to write your honest review within 60 days of reading it. To get a feel for it, try joining the MP Newsroom Bloggers Facebook group , where you can directly interact with existing members of the program.

11. New Pages

💸 Pay: Variable 

Not interested in writing anything longer than 300 words? Are quick flash book reviews more your pace? If so, becoming a NewPages reviewer might be just your speed. NewPages.com is an Internet portal to small presses, independent publishers and bookstores, and literary magazines. More importantly, they’re looking for short book reviews (generally between 100 and 200 words) on any recent literary magazine or book that you’ve read.

If you’re already a fan of books from small presses or unknown magazines, even better: that’s exactly the kind of reviewer NewPages wants to work with. If you’d like to look through some of their past book reviews to see if your style matches, check out their book review archive here .

12. Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is an online magazine focused on international book publishing and all that that entails. More pertinently, it regularly reviews both traditionally published and self-published books, which means that it does occasionally have a call for book reviewers. As of right now, it’s closed to applications — but if you check its Jobs page every once in a while, you might see an opening again.

13. Tyndale Blog Network

Tyndale Blog Network runs a program called My Reader Rewards Club, which is based on an innovative rewards system. If you join as a member, you can earn points for certain actions that you take on the site (for instance, inviting a friend to the program and sharing a direct link to MyReaderRewardsClub.com on Facebook each fetches you 10 points).

Writing a review for a Tyndale or NavPress book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble gets you 10 points, with a maximum limit of 50 points in 30 days. In turn, you can use your accumulated points to receive more books off of Tyndale’s shelves. If this sounds like something that may be up your alley, check out their FAQ here.

14. Booklist Publications

💸 Pay: $12.50 to $15 per review

Booklist is the American Library Association’s highly respected review journal for librarians. Luckily for freelance writers, Booklist assigns freelance book reviews that vary from blog posts for The Booklist Reader to published book review in Booklist magazine.

As the site itself suggests, it’s important that you’re familiar with Booklist Publication’s outlets (which include Booklist magazine, the quarterly Book Links , and The Booklist Reader blog) and its writing style. Reviews are generally very short (no longer than 175 words) and professionally written. You can discover more of its guidelines here — and an archive of previous Booklist reviews here .

To apply, contact a relevant Booklist editor and be prepared to submit a few of your past writing samples.

15. Instaread

💸 Pay: $100 per summary

Not interested in writing critical takes on the books that you read? Then Instaread might be for you. Instaread has an open call for book summaries, which recap “the key insights of new and classic nonfiction.”

Each summary should be around 1000 to 1500 words, which makes it a fair bit lengthier than your average flash book review. However, Instaread will compensate you heartily for it: as of 2019, Instaread pays $100 for each summary that you write. You can peruse Instaread’s recommended Style Guide on this page , or download Instaread from your App Store to get a better feel for the app.

16. NetGalley

If you’ve dreamt about becoming an influencer in the book reviewing community, you may want to give NetGalley a look. Put simply, NetGalley is a service that connects book reviewers to publishers and authors. Librarians, bloggers, booksellers, media professionals, and educators can all sign up to NetGalley to read books before they’re published.

How it works is pretty simple. Publishers put digital review copies out on NetGalley for perusal, where NetGalley’s members can request to read, review, and recommend them. It’s a win-win for both publisher and reviewer: the publisher is able to find enthusiastic readers to provide an honest review for their books, and the reviewer gets access to a vast catalog of books.

The cherry on top is that NetGalley membership is 100% free! Simply use this form to sign up. And if you’d like more information, you can dip into their FAQ here .

17. getAbstract

Are you an avid reader of nonfiction books? getAbstract is a site that summarizes 18,000+ nonfiction books into 10-minute bites. Their Career Opportunities page often includes listings for writers. At the time of this post’s writing, getAbstract is looking for science and technology writers who can sum up the latest magazine articles and books. They pay on a freelance basis, so apply through their website to get further details.

18. Writerful Books

💸 Pay: $10 to $50

Writerful Books is an author services company that provides everything from beta reading to (you guessed it) book reviewing. As such, they’re always on the lookout for book reviewers with fresh and compelling voices.  

One of the benefits of this gig is that you can review any book that you want for them (although they prefer contemporary award-winning American, Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, and New Zealand authors). Getting a regularly paid gig with Writerful Books isn’t a guarantee, but if you regularly publish quality reviews for them, they may contact you. 

To apply, you’ll have to be able to provide previous book review samples. Here’s the job listing if you’re curious to learn more about this role.

If you're an avid reader,  sign up to Reedsy Discovery  for access to the freshest new reads — or  apply as a reviewer  to give us  your  hot takes!

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Can you trust online product ratings? Our investigation suggests even Amazon’s top-ranked, “consistently helpful” reviewers can provide ratings that are at best unhelpful and at worst display the hallmarks of fakery.

If you’re using online reviews to pick where to visit, stay or eat or what to buy, don’t take the summarised ratings at face value. Scroll down to the reviews themselves, and:

Peek at the profiles. Has the user left more than one review? On the other hand, do they post reviews suspiciously frequently? Does the reviewer always give five stars and unrealistically overblown praise? If so, take their rating with more than a pinch of salt.

Read a few one-star reviews. If reviewers express surprise at the other five-star reviews (and a check of their profile shows they’re typically moderate to happy customers), something suspicious might be occurring.

Check other rating websites. Does the aggregated rating on the website align with those on other sites? Be wary if there’s a significant mismatch.

Review the reviews. FakeSpot (for Amazon, TripAdvisor and Yelp) and ReviewMeta (for Amazon) allow you to copy-and-paste a web address and check reviews for red flags.

With millions of products jostling for our attention and cash, 55% of web shoppers turn to online reviews to help them make their choice, according to a 2017 KPMG report.

Retailers are acutely aware of the power of online reviews, with some creating glowing reviews of their own products or negative ones of their competitors’ (practices known as “astroturfing”).

In 2015, Craig Douglas, a partner in Christchurch building company Clearwater Homes, received a warning from the Commerce Commission for several testimonials on the Clearwater Homes website from supposedly happy customers. The reviews were fake, written by Douglas and one of his friends, and had to be removed.

Concerningly, some websites may be in on the astroturfing game. This year, the commission filed charges against holiday accommodation site, Bachcare, alleging it misled consumers by manipulating online reviews. The commission claims Bachcare removed negative comments from some reviews and refused to publish any reviews with a star rating lower than 3.5 stars.

Businesses in the market for fake feedback can pick it up pretty cheaply – we found freelancers on Fiverr.com offering to write basic reviews for NZ$8 each.

Major websites such as Amazon, Google and TripAdvisor maintain they have robust procedures in place for detecting and removing fake reviews – from moderation checks to processes where users can flag suspicious reviews.

However, consumer investigations suggest suspicious critiques are still slipping through the cracks.

What we did

Amazon gives a little badge to top reviewers who provide “consistently helpful, high-quality reviews”. This badge appears next to their username above each review. We scrutinised the 10 top-ranked reviewers holding these badges on Amazon Australia, calculating the number of reviews over a 12-month time frame, the highest number of reviews posted in a single day, the average star rating, the number of times they gave a one-star review, repeated purchases and overused stock phrases.

Survey results

Of the more than 1800 reviews left by the top-ranked reviewers, the overwhelming majority were positive. All top-ranked reviewers gave an average rating of between four and five stars – indicating they’re easy to please or may have an incentive to rate a product highly.

Only three gave one or more one-star review during the year, though these accounted for just 0.05% of all their ratings.

One profile gave nothing but five-star reviews, though this was noted in the reviewer’s profile: “I’m a positive-only reviewer … This is my five-star account.”

Across the year, the most prolific reviewer (of the 10) posted 535 book reviews – which equates to a book-and-a-half every day. The user often published reviews in clusters of three or more. On October 21, 2018 they posted 10 book reviews. Six reviews were published on December 14, 2018 and February 10, 2019.

Many of Amazon’s top 10 had “high-volume” posting days: another user managed to crank out 14 five-star book reviews one day last October.

Our investigation also found profiles repeatedly relying on stock phrases to bulk out their reviews, which we found suspicious.

We found these phrases popping up repeatedly:

“This was my first book by the author and it won’t be my last.”

“I can’t wait to see what [insert author’s name] brings us next.”

“Definitely a [book/series] I would recommend, and I look forward to reading more …”.

We reported the cases of repeated phrases to Amazon and asked it to investigate. The company said it “took appropriate action” but didn’t clarify what this was. The reviews we flagged remained on the site.

Peer review

In a statement, Amazon said “automated technology and teams of trained human investigators” are in place to catch abusive and fake reviews before they appear on the website.

“Last year, we prevented more than 13 million attempts to leave an inauthentic review and we took action against more than five million bad actor accounts attempting to manipulate reviews,” a spokesperson said.

By awarding a badge to certain users, Amazon lends credibility to these top-ranked reviewers’ seal of approval – despite the fact these reviewers hand out praise suspiciously often. We’d like to see Amazon apply more scrutiny to anyone with these badges, including regular scans of their reviews for stock phrases.

We’d also like to see websites such as Amazon, which invite reviews, include an aggregate score with reviewers’ profile info – so if they hand out four or five stars like they’re going out of fashion, other shoppers will be able to spot this right away.

Amazon Australia reviewers

What to look for.

In assessing reviews, we kept an eye out for:

Skew. Real-life reviewers are typically measured – you like a few products, find another shoddy, rank most as average – so when you add up all your reviews, the score falls somewhere in the middle. Not so with paid reviewers, whose overall score is likely to be suspiciously high or low, because the company is paying for positive or negative feedback. Even if they’re not a fake, a reviewer who’s easy or impossible to please is little help in making a purchasing decision.

Frequency. Your average shopper isn’t going to spend vast chunks of valuable time-off posting reviews on Amazon. High review counts or clusters of reviews posted on the same day are suspicious. At the same time, it’s questionable for someone to post a single five-star review years ago and nothing since.

Repetition. An ordinary punter is unlikely to buy similar gadgets over and over, particularly if they’ve given each product five stars. Similarly, if reviews are written organically, it’s unlikely the reviewer would end up using the same phrasing. There’s little incentive for independent reviewers, who are free to say as much or as little as they’d like, to “pad out” feedback. However, a paid reviewer might use stock descriptions – to meet a set word count and save time.

TripAdvisor’s fake reviews

Our UK sister organisation, Which?, investigated the reviews on travel website TripAdvisor. Analysing the nearly 250,000 reviews on 100 top-ranked hotels, 15 hotels had the “blatant hallmarks of fake reviews”, according to Which? consumer rights expert Adam French. When TripAdvisor received a copy of the results, it said 14 of the 15 hotels had been busted with fake positive reviews in the past year.

Which? noted a suspicious pattern on many hotels: one negative rating and a quick succession of very positive reviews. “A flood of five-star reviews after some bad reviews could indicate that a concerted ‘push’ for positive reviews has been coordinated,” Mr French said.

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The Best Motorhome & Campervan Rentals in New Zealand 🚐 [2024]

Support nz pocket guide and get our huge ebook collection to access our tips on the go, the top rv and campervan rental companies in new zealand.

New Zealand is the ultimate road-tripping; a campervanning country with so much to see on the road and so many stunning campsites and freedom camping areas to sleep under the stars. One of the most important decisions you will make will be choosing a motorhome or campervan rental company. This camping vehicle is not only going to be the way you get around New Zealand, but it’s going to be your home too, so you better like it! To help you with your New Zealand campervan comparison, we have put together a list of the best motorhome and campervan rental companies in New Zealand. You’ll be surprised that there are a lot of campervan rental companies out there offering all kinds of experiences. We have included a wide range of campervan rental companies in New Zealand, from small budget campercar rentals to large luxury motorhomes.

Before we begin, be sure to open up  How to Plan a Campervan Trip in New Zealand for more essential camping tips!

5 Things to Look at When Comparing Campervan Rental Companies in New Zealand

1# Location : Look at your itinerary and where you want to start and end your trip in New Zealand. With that, you need to find a campervan rental company that has a depot in locations that are convenient for you. Also check if there are any extra fees you will need to pay for the premium location, such as picking up from the airport. Finally, if you are ending your trip in a different location to the pick-up location, then compare the one-way fees that are likely to be incurred.

2# Prices and inclusions : The price of campervan rental changes largely depending on the season. Read our 20 Ways to Save Money on Car & Campervan Rental in New Zealand to see when the best time to rent a campervan usually is. Plus, when comparing prices, compare what’s included to understand the true value of the rental. We have added the inclusions in the comparison below. Additionally, be aware that not all insurance policies are the same, so compare what the insurance offered actually covers.

3# Vehicles offered : Most campervan rental companies in New Zealand maintain even their oldest vehicle to the highest standards, however, a more modern vehicle is less likely to give you any problems, so keep vehicle age in mind. Of course, the size of the campervan will be incredibly important for the level of comfort you want to have. What’s more, decide whether a self-contained campervan is important to you. In order to freedom camp in New Zealand , you need a vehicle that is certified self-contained. For more information on the different types of camping vehicles, head to our guide to The Different Types of Campervans in New Zealand .

4# Service : Once you have picked a few campervan rental companies from this comparison, send some questions to the companies and see how helpful they are with their answers. Service will become very important should anything go wrong during your trip.

5# Reviews : It’s worth checking multiple review websites to compare customers experiences. Why not ask the question in a New Zealand travel Facebook Group ?

EPIC Campers

Hit the road with your partner, best mate or solo in one of the cleverly designed 2-berth campervans of EPIC Campers , a small independent company. Pick up from either Christchurch and Auckland and enjoy the benefits of freedom camping thanks to the campervan’s self-containment certification . Not only do the vans have quality interiors, such as a fold-out kitchenette and manoeuvrable living/sleeping space, but there are thoughtful touches from the USB powerpoints front and back to the coffee plunger! Ah! Book your EPIC Camper at epiccampers.co.nz .

For more epic camper options from Auckland, head to  The Best Motorhome & Campervan Rentals in Auckland .

Pick-Up and Drop-Off Locations

Transfers are available from Christchurch Airport for a fee. Parking at their depots is available.

Pick-up/Drop-off Locations : Auckland and Christchurch.

Campervans Available

High-roof van (Mazda Bongos) which is certified self-contained and sleeps up to two people. A three-seater campervan is also available.

Vehicle age range : Up to 10 years old.

Free Inclusions

• Multiple drivers (18+ years old)
• Basic insurance
• Roadside assistance
• Gas stove, fridge and sink
• Kitchenware
• Kitchen consumables (olive oil, salt, pepper and dishwashing liquid)
• Bedding (including an extra fleece blanket)
• Portable toilet
• Insect nets
• New Zealand SIM card
• Phone holder + USB charger

Free standard insurance with NZ$5,000 excess and $3,000 bond or insurance add-ons for NZ$15-$30 per day with less/no excess and bond to pay. Check out our explanation of how insurance works in New Zealand Rental Car & Campervan Insurance: Explained!

Travellers Autobarn

Travellers Autobarn is a great option for travelling in New Zealand while staying in holiday parks and campsites. With no extra fees for young drivers, Travellers Autobarn is a great choice for drivers of all ages. It is an extra NZ$50 to hire a portable toilet and for your certified self-containment sticker to be valid to be able to freedom camp in New Zealand. Tip: Rentals are usually cheaper when starting in Christchurch with Travellers Autobarn. Book your campervan at travellers-autobarn.co.nz . Plus, check out our review of their “Kuga” campervan .

For more campervan options from Christchurch, check out   The Best Motorhome & Campervan Rentals in Christchurch .

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Campervan/station wagon Toyota Estima sleeping 2 people in a tent, and Hitop Toyota Hiace vans sleeping between 3-5 people.

Vehicle age range : 4 to 12 years old.

• 10% discount for premium caravan parks
• Access to free campgrounds
• Unlimited kilometres
• Gas stove, fridge, sink, microwave
• Optional extras also include kitchenware, bedding, child booster seats, multiple drivers and a heater.

Free standard cover with NZ$3,000 excess and NZ$3,000 bond to pay. Full cover is also available at an additional NZ$30 per day for no excess or bond to pay. Check out our explanation of how insurance works in New Zealand Rental Car & Campervan Insurance: Explained!

What Does a Travellers Autobarn Campervan Look Like?

Check the NZ Pocket Guide team touring a Travellers Autobarn campervan in the following video:

Based in Christchurch, PiwiWiwi is a small family-run campervan rental company with a huge offering of inclusions and personal service. You don’t have to pay extra for handy essentials and indulgences like a phone holder, an extra blanket (mink blanket, might we add), or a coffee plunger. There’s no huge branding on the vans, making them less likely a target for thieves. Plus, all vans have a low kilometre count and contemporary fit-outs no more than four years old. PiwiWiwi is typically open from September to the end of May.

Check out PiwiWiwi’s cleverly handcrafted design in this YouTube video and book your campervan rental at piwiwiwi.co.nz .

Courtesy transfers are available to/from Christchurch Airport and the city centre.

Pick-Up/Drop-off Location : Christchurch.

High-roof van (Toyota HiAce) which is certified self-contained and sleeps up to three people.

Vehicle age range : 5 to 9 years old.

• Up to 3 drivers (21+ years old)
• Gas stove, grill, fridge and sink
• Camping Chairs
• Surfer-friendly kit
• First Aid Kit
• Guidebooks and maps
• Access to a free box of food and consumables left by previous hirers.

Free standard insurance with NZ$2,500 excess and NZ$2,500 bond or insurance add-ons for NZ$25-$30 per day with less excess and bond to pay.

Maui Motorhomes

Maui is an experienced and trusted campervan hire brand in New Zealand, delivering great self-drive holidays for more than 35 years. They focus on design enhancement and innovation to ensure travellers experience the best in campervan holidays with stylish interiors and spacious designs.

Courtesy transfers to and from the airport and city are available in Auckland and Christchurch.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland, Christchurch, and Queenstown.

A range of self-contained campervans and motorhomes that sleep up to two, four, and six people.

Vehicle age range : 0 to 2.5 years old.

• Multiple drivers (21 years old)
• 24/7 customer care
• Gas stove, sink, fridge
• Toilet and shower (all vehicles are self-contained)
• Kitchenware (including wine glasses, crockery, and coffee plunger)
• Bedding (freshly laundered)
• Apartment-style kitchen equipment
• Linen exchange service at any branch during the holiday

Standard insurance is included with NZ$7,500 excess. There is the option to upgrade for less excess at NZ$53 per day.

Cheapa Campa

Cheapa Campa is a budget-friendly campervan and motorhome rental company in New Zealand, part of the Apollo Motorhome Holidays family. They offer affordable options for couples, friends and families looking to explore New Zealand without breaking the bank, especially with their discounts for long-term bookings (more than 12 days), making it an attractive option for extended road trips. For locals, they also have pet-friendly options available (for an extra cleaning fee).

A range of small campervans for 2 people to self-contained motorhomes that sleep up to 6 people.

• 1 driver (18 years old)
• Long Term Discounts for bookings more than 12 days
• Standard insurance
• “24 Hour On Road Assist” helpline
• Kitchen kit (cooking equipment and eating utensils)
• General equipment (pegs, clothes line, fire extinguisher, bucket, hose, dustpan and brush)
• Complimentary personal kits for each guest (sheets, blanket/duvet, pillow, pillowcase and bath towel)
• Electrical appliances in vehicles with 240V

Freedom Campers

Freedom Campers is a 100% family-owned and operated campervan and motorhome rental company in New Zealand, established in 1983. They focus on providing excellent customer service and reliable rental vehicles for budget-minded international and local travellers.

Courtesy transfers to and from the airport and city are available.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland and Christchurch.

2/3 berth to 4/5 berth hi-top campervans and 4-6 berth motorhomes.

Vehicle age range : 9 to 18 years old.

• Multiple drivers (21+ years old)
• Free starter pack, regional and activities guide
• Comprehensive road atlas
• Kitchen equipment
• Other equipment: Bucket, brush and shovel, tea towels, heater, clothes pegs and line

Standard insurance is included with NZ$4,000 excess (NZ$4,500 for drivers aged under 25 years) and the same price bond to pay. There are options to reduce the excess and bond for NZ$28-$55 per day.

Wendekreisen Travel

With no one-way fees and no RUC (diesel tax) charges, Wendekreisen Travel stands out among other motorhome rental companies in New Zealand. There are opportunities to make huge savings while having a huge fleet of campervans and motorhomes to choose from.

See more great-value rentals in  The Best Affordable Motorhome & Campervan Rentals in New Zealand .

Cars with roof tents (not self-contained), a selection of high roof vans (VW T5, Mazda E, Toyota HiAce, etc.) sleeping up to 2 people, and a selection of motorhomes sleeping 2 to 6 people.

Vehicle age range : 0 to 14 years old.

• Basic insurance (compulsory +NZ$14 a day)
• No one-way fees
• No diesel road user charge (RUC)
• Gas stove, fridge, sink (some come with grills)
• Electric toaster and kettle
• Heaters or diesel heating
• Toilet and shower (smaller vans have an outdoor shower and portable toilet)
• Picnic table and chairs

Standard insurance is included with NZ$750 excess for drivers over 25 years old (NZ$1,000 for drivers aged 21 to 24). There is the option to upgrade for less excess at NZ$21-$28 per day.

Kiwi Motorhomes

Kiwi Motorhomes has mid-range prices with a whole lot of inclusions. Just ask and it’s likely they will be able to include it with your motorhome hire! Note that there is a minimum hire time of seven days. Their larger vehicles mean that Kiwi Motorhomes are one of The Best Family Campervan Rentals in New Zealand .

Courtesy transfers to and from the airport and accommodation are available.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Whangarei, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch.

A range of certified and full-self-contained motorhomes from VW, Mercedes and Ford vehicles sleeping up to 6 people.

Vehicle age range : 7 to 15 years old.

• 1 driver (25+ years old)
• No Road User Charges (diesel tax)
• Mountain Bikes + child seat
• Park Over Properties (POP) locations
• Solar Panels
• Gas stove, grill, microwave, fridge and sink
• Toilet and shower
• Satellite TV, DVDs and books
• Baby seats available
• DVD player and TV
• Boogie boards available

Standard insurance is included in the rental but excess costs are calculated on a case-by-case basis.

Travelling New Zealand in a campervan doesn’t mean you have to “rough it”, and that’s certainly the case with  Wilderness Motorhomes ! Choose from a fleet of luxury campervans that have been specially designed with the comfort of all types of travellers in mind. Added extras like the one-way fee, free New Zealand SIM Card and guidebooks are an added bonus.

For more luxury options, head to  The Best Luxury Campervan & Motorhome Rentals in New Zealand .

Courtesy transfers to and from the airport/airport depot/airport hotel are available.

2-berth and 4-berth motorhomes.

Vehicle age range : 0 to 4 years old.

• One-way fee
• Gas stove, oven/grill, extractor fan, fridge, sink
• Gas heaters
• Towels (as many as you would like)
• CD/DVD/MP3/USB input player
• First aid kit (a fee applies if opened)
• PDF New Zealand guidebook download

Standard insurance is included with NZ$7500 excess and NZ$7500 bond to pay. There is the option to upgrade for less or zero excess on insurance and only NZ$500 of bond to pay at NZ$39-$59 per day. Check out our explanation of how insurance works in New Zealand Rental Car & Campervan Insurance: Explained!

Affordable Motor Home Rentals

Just like the name suggests, Affordable Motor Home Rentals offers some very affordable vehicles to rent, from small camper cars to full-on motorhomes. What’s more, all of their vehicles are certified self-contained so you can freedom camp if you wish.

Courtesy transfers to and from the airport and accommodation available.

Self-contained campercars sleeping up to 2 people (Toyota Estima) and self-contained campervan and motorhome options by Toyota sleeping up to 3 people.

Vehicle age range : 10 to 15 years old.

• Gas stove, grill, microwave, fridge and sink (campercars exclude some of these)
• Toilet and shower (motorhome only)
• Portable toilet (campervan and campercars only)
• Iron and hairdryer available
• TV (motorhome only)
• Map/guidebook

Free standard insurance with NZ$2000 excess and bond to pay for sleepervan models or NZ$3500 excess and bond to pay for campervan and motorhome models. Other insurance options are available at an added NZ$20-$35 per day for less excess and bond to pay.

Euro Campers (Budgy Campers and Heron)

Euro Campers really has a bit of everything, from budget campervans to more luxurious motorhomes with all the fixings. They also include two other campervan rental brands in New Zealand, Budgy and Heron . Note that 18-year-old drivers can only hire high-top van options from Euro Campers. You need to be over 25 to drive the motorhome-style vans. Find out more about rental age restrictions in  Age Restrictions When Renting a Vehicle in New Zealand .

Courtesy transfers to and from airport and city available.

Campervan Nissan sleeper van style sleeping 2 people, high-top vans (budget and premium) sleeping 3 people, and a range of fully certified self-contained motorhomes (budget and premium) sleeping up to 5 people.

Vehicle age range : 1 to 20 years old.

• Multiple drivers (18+ 0r 25+ years old, depending on the vehicle)
• Gas cookers/gas stove, grill, microwave, fridge and sink
• Solar panels (on motorhomes)
• Electric or diesel heaters
• Toilet and shower (portable toilet and solar shower in vans)
• DVD player (in motorhomes)

Standard insurance is included with NZ$5000 excess. There is the option to upgrade for less or zero excess on insurance at NZ$25-$45 per day.

Cruzy Campers

Another great budget campervan option for a couple travelling New Zealand is Cruzy Campers . They offer high-roof vans with a choice of petrol or diesel. Be away that while diesel price is cheaper than petrol in New Zealand, you will have to pay a Road User Charge, which is a diesel tax when driving a diesel vehicle in New Zealand. Note that petrol campers only come with manual transmission.

A courtesy transfer is available for airport and nearby accommodation.

High-roof campervan (Toyota HiAce), which sleeps up to 3 people and is certified self-contained. There is a choice of petrol or diesel.

Vehicle age range : 7 to 12 years old.

• Gas stove, grill, fridge, sink
• Kitchenware (including a coffee press)
• Cleaning equipment and products
• Maps and guidebooks
• Camping chairs and table
• Torch (flashlight)
• NZ mobile phone hire

Free standard insurance. 25+-year-old drivers have NZ$2,000 excess and bond. 21-24-year-old drivers have NZ$2,500 excess and bond. 18 to 20-year-old drivers have NZ$3,000 excess and bond. Excess reductions are available for 25+-year-olds at NZ$20-$30 per day.

If you’re looking to tour the South Island for at least 15 days for an affordable price, then consider CamperCo . With no branding on their three campervan choices, this means you can blend in with the Kiwis and be less likely subject to break-ins (not that that happens often). With free ferry transfers in Picton, they are a good option for hiring on the South Island after you disembark the North Island-South Island ferry . Note that there is a minimum time of 15 days.

A courtesy transfer is available for the airport, Picton ferry terminal and nearby accommodation.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Christchurch, Picton, Nelson and Queenstown

Campercar Toyota Estima which sleeps up to 2 people, a high-roof campervan (Toyota HiAce) and sleeps up to 3 people, and a larger Ford Transit van sleeping up to 3 people. All of which are certified self-contained.

Vehicle age range : 5 to 109 years old.

• 1 driver (18+ years old)
• Gas stove, fridge, sink
• Microwave (Motorhome only)
• Gas heater (Motorhome only)
• Hot water (Motorhome only)
• TV (Motorhome only)
• Toilet and shower or portable toilet
• Camping tables and chairs
• Tents (on request)

Free standard insurance. 25+-year-old drivers have NZ$3,500 excess. 21-25-year-old drivers have NZ$4,000 excess. 18 to 20-year-old drivers have NZ$4,500 excess. There are options to reduce the excess by paying NZ$30-$35 per day.

Kia Ora Campers

A more luxurious option for camping vehicle travel in New Zealand would be with a motorhome from Kia Ora Campers . They have a wide range of relatively new model motorhomes available. All motorhomes are fully self-contained with everything you need for road tripping around New Zealand.

See more premium camping vehicles listed in  The Best Luxury Campervan & Motorhome Rentals in New Zealand .

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, Ashburton, Picton and Invercargill.

A range of motorhomes sleeping between 2 to 6 people, all of which are certified self-contained.

Vehicle age range : 1 to 8 years old.

• Multiple drivers (25+ years old)
• Solar panels
• BBQ with hires over 10 days

Standard insurance is included with NZ$4500 excess on 3-6 berth vehicles and NZ$3500 excess on 2 berth vehicles. There are options to pay NZ$20-$50 per day to reduce excess amounts.

Campa South Rentals

Travel New Zealand with everything you need in a compact campervan with Campa South Rentals . The business mainly operates from Christchurch and the vehicle types are subject to what is available in your chosen pick-up location. The vans do not have any branding, so are safer from thieves (although that’s not a huge issue in New Zealand, it can happen).

Pick-up and Drop-Off Locations

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland, Christchurch, Picton and Queenstown.

High-roof van (Toyota HiAce) which is certified self-contained and sleeps up to four people and Nissan Vanette which sleeps up to 2 people.

Vehicle age range : 5 to 15 years old.

• Fan heater (for use when attached to a campground power outlet)
• New Zealand mobile phone hire
• Matches and torchlight
• Gas stove, fridge, sink, electric toaster, electric kettle
• Camping maps

Free standard insurance. A 25+-year-old driver has NZ$3000 excess and NZ$400 deposit to pay. 21-25-year-old drivers have NZ$4500 excess. 18-20-year-old drivers have NZ$6000 excess.

Escape Campervan Rentals

Escape Campervan Rentals stand out from the crowd with their uniquely artistic-designed campers kitted out for budgeting backpackers. Despite being “cheap”, they are a transparent company with their website clearly outlining any additional fees you might have to pay. Note that their cheapest vehicles are not certified self-contained but self-contained vans are available. Also, be aware that automatic transmission vehicles are not a guarantee but you can pay a transmission fee of around NZ$10 per day to guarantee your choice of transmission.

Nissan Caravans sleeping up to 3 people.

Vehicle age range : 8 to 19 years old.

• Solar shower
• Gas stove, sink, cooler box
• Portable toilet (in self-contained vans only)
• Mains-powered heater
• Cleaning equipment
• Guidebook with activity discounts
• Snowchains in winter (on request)

Free standard insurance with NZ$3,000-$4,000 excess and NZ$3,000 bond. Other insurance options are available at an added NZ$22.50-$30 per day for less excess and bond to pay.

A more premium brand with a premium price is Britz . Their constantly updated fleet of new model campervans and motorhomes means you are less likely to break down due to vehicle age. Be aware of the costly bonds you will need to pay as a security deposit before hiring.

For more rentals available from Queenstown, head to  The Best Motorhome & Campervan Rentals in Queenstown .

A wide range from high-top Toyota HiAces to a fleet of motorhomes sleeping up to 6 people and are all certified self-contained.

Vehicle age range : 0 to 3 years old.

• 1 driver (21+ years old)
• Gas stove, grill, microwave, fridge/freezer and sink (grill may not be included in hitop campervans)
• Toilet and shower (may not be included in hitop campervans)
• Towels and bathmat
• Tablet with GPS

Standard insurance is included with NZ$5000 excess for campervans or NZ$7500 excess for motorhomes. Windscreen and tyre damage excess of NZ$250 is also included. There are options to pay NZ$48-$59 per day to reduce excess amounts.

Tui Campers

Tui Campers provides a range of campervan and motorhome hires in New Zealand, from easy-to-drive “sleepervans” to functional motorhomes to even wacky 4WD Ford Rangers with fold-out tents on the side and roof! Their Sleepervans are the most economical, however, with self-containment certification included – a must-pick if you’re backpacking around New Zealand.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland and Christchurch (Wellington, Picton, Greymouth, Dunedin, Queenstown and Nelson are also available at an NZ$1,200 charge).

Toyota Voxy sleeping up to 2 people and certified self-contained, Toyota HiAces sleeping up to 2 or 5 people and self-contained, Ford Transit sleeping up to 2, 3, 4 or 5 people and self-contained, and Ford Ranger with tents sleeping up to 5 people and self-contained.

• Gas stove, sink, 12v cooler box or fridge
• Portable or fixed toilet

Standard insurance is included with NZ$4,500 excess (NZ$5,000 for drivers aged under 25 years) and the same price bond to pay. There are options to reduce the excess and bond for NZ$30-$55 per day.

Road Runner Rentals

With a selection of backpacker-style campervans to fully self-contained motorhomes, Road Runner Rentals has a great fleet of vehicles to choose from. While 18+ drivers can hire the smaller vans, you need to be 21 and over to hire motorhomes.

For more backpacker-friendly options, head to  The Best Backpacker Campervan Rentals in New Zealand .

They have a range of Toyota HiAce and Nissan Caravans sleeping up to 2 people, some self-contained. There’s also a range of self-contained Mercedes Sprinter or Ford Transit motorhomes either 2-berth, 4-berth or 6-berth.

Vehicle age range : 6 to 20 years old.

• Gas stove fridge and sink
• Microwave (HiAce and motorhomes only)
• Toilet and shower (motorhomes only)
• Portable toilet (campervans only)

Standard insurance is included with NZ$4,000 excess/bond for motorhomes and NZ$2,000 excess/bond for campervans (this is NZ$3,000 for 18-21-year-old drivers and NZ$2,500 for 21-25-year-old drivers). Excess can be reduced for NZ$25-$55 per day.

Mighty Campervans

Think “Britz” (see above) but with slightly older model campervans and motorhomes. Mighty Campervans is another premium motorhome rental brand in New Zealand with a huge fleet – five different campervan and motorhome types ranging from 2-4 berths. They provide 24/7 phone support and helpful resources through their Roadtrip app, including help videos and navigation tools to ensure travellers can navigate their camper and the roads effectively. Either way, we still advise booking well in advance for summer rentals with this popular luxury motorhome rental brand.

A wide range from high-top Toyota HiAces to a fleet of motorhomes all certified self-contained.

Vehicle age range : 6 years old.

• Toilet/porta potti and shower (may not be included in hitop campervans)

Standard insurance is included with NZ$3,500 excess for campervans or NZ$5,000 excess for motorhomes. Windscreen and tyre damage excess of NZ$250 is also included. There are options to pay NZ$35-$48 per day to reduce excess amounts.

Apollo is a well-established motorhome and campervan rental company in New Zealand, offering a range of vehicles for travellers. Like the other THL motorhome brands (Maui, Britz, Mighty, Cheapa and Hippie) they provide 24/7 phone support and helpful resources through their Roadtrip app, including help videos and navigation tools to ensure travellers can navigate their camper and the roads effectively.

A wide range of motorhomes and campervans, including 2, 4, and 6 berth options.

Vehicle age range : 0-3 years old.

• 24-hour roadside assistance
• Standard liability coverage
• Bedding/Linen
• Kitchen/Cutlery
• Tourist Info/Maps

Standard insurance is included with NZ$5,000 excess for campervans or NZ$7,000 excess for motorhomes. There are options to pay NZ$48-$53 per day to reduce excess amounts.

Hippie Campers

Another budget campervan option to consider is Hippie Campers . The campervans have all the basic essentials, however, they are not self-contained so you will need to stay in campsites and holiday parks, rather than enjoy freedom camping. See  Where Can You Camp in New Zealand if Your Campervan is Not Self-Contained?  for more advice.

High-roof Toyota HiAce sleeping up to 3 people.

Vehicle age range : 3 to 17 years old.

• Gas stove, sink, fridge and kettle

Insurance is included in the rental with a NZ$3,000 bond and NZ$3,000 excess. There are options to reduce the excess and bond to pay for NZ$22 per day.

Mad Campers

Hit the road in these small yet comfortable-to-drive campervans built for freedom. All vans with Mad Campers are certified self-contained meaning you can legally freedom camp where permitted!

For more ultra-affordable camper brands, check out   The Cheapest Motorhome & Campervan Rentals in New Zealand .

Courtesy transfers are available in Auckland, however, outside of office hours may incur a transfer charge. Christchurch transfers are subject to availability.

Pick-Up/Drop-off Location : Auckland and Christchurch.

Nissan Vanette sleeping up to 2 people and is certified self-contained. Nissan Cube sleeping one person and is certified self-contained.

Vehicle age range : 0 to 12 years old.

• Up to 2 drivers (18+ years old)

Free standard insurance with NZ$5,000 excess and NZ$2,500 bond or insurance add-ons for NZ$17.50-$30 per day with less excess and bond to pay.

Jucy Rentals

Jucy Rentals is a car and campervan rental company with backpackers in mind. With a low minimum age and a great range of budget options, they are worth considering for a budget trip around New Zealand . Be aware that they do charge a “premium location fee” for the Auckland Airport, however, this fee is minimal. Check out the latest JUCY deals on Motorhome Republic , DiscoverCars.com or Booking.com .

For more campervans for young drivers, check out  The Best New Zealand Car & Campervan Rentals for Ages 18 to 25 .

A courtesy shuttle is available for airport branches offering airport pick-up and drop-offs.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Locations : Auckland Airport, Auckland Central, Christchurch Airport and Queenstown Airport.

Toyota Estima campercar sleeping 2 people (not self-contained), high rise Toyota HiAce sleeps up to 4 people (self-contained) and a high rise Toyota HiAce (more premium option) sleeping 4 people and self-contained.

Vehicle age range : 5 to 10 years old.

• Portable toilet (included in HiAce)
• Shower and toilet (included in premium HiAce)

Free insurance with NZ$5,000 excess, NZ$5,000 bond and NZ$75 claims fee. Or insurance add-ons for NZ$40-$55 per day with less excess and less bond to pay. What’s included in the insurance (or more likely, what’s not!) is clearly stated on the Jucy website so be sure to use this to compare with other insurances offered.

More About Motorhome and Campervan Rentals in New Zealand

See more New Zealand campervan rental companies on campervan comparison websites! Alternatively, stick around on NZ Pocket Guide for more rental tips:

• The Essential Guide to Renting a Campervan in New Zealand
• 10 Things You Need to Know About Camper Van Rental in New Zealand
• Which is Cheaper: Campervan Rental or Car Rental + Stay in Hotel/Hostel/Airbnb ?

Now that you’ve found the best campervan rentals in New Zealand, do you need some road trip ideas? Check out the following itineraries for the best road trip routes:

• North Island in 1 Week : Road Trip Itinerary
• South Island in 1 Week : Road Trip Itinerary
• South Island Campervan Itinerary: 10 Days
• North Island in 2 Weeks : Road Trip Itinerary
• South Island in 2 Weeks : Road Trip Itinerary
• New Zealand in 2 Weeks : Road Trip Itinerary
• New Zealand in 3 Weeks : Road Trip Itinerary
• New Zealand in a Month : Road Trip Itinerary

Finally, if there’s anything that we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in  How to Plan a Campervan Trip in New Zealand .

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

• Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
• Immigration New Zealand (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2024])
• New Zealand Customs Service (Customs and Biosecurity - Updated [2024])
• New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD online platform - Updated [2024])
• Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
• Safe Travel (NZ travel advisories - Updated [2024])
• Stats NZ (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2024])
• Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Road and transport tips - Updated [2024])
• DriveSafe (Road safety - Updated [2024])
• Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
• AdventureSmart (Know before you go - Update [2024])

Our editorial standards : At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About The Author

This article has been reviewed and published by Laura, the editor-in-chief and co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. Laura is a first-class honours journalism graduate and a travel journalist with expertise in New Zealand and South Pacific tourism for over 10 years. She also runs travel guides for five of the top destinations in the South Pacific and is the co-host of over 250 episodes of the NZ Travel Show on YouTube.

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Related posts, the best motorhome & campervan rentals in queenstown [2024], what are self-contained campervans in new zealand, new zealand campervan relocations: how to get a free campervan hire, private campervan & motorhome rentals in new zealand: full guide, travellers autobarn: what is it really like to hire a campervan in nz, renting a campervan in new zealand: the essential guide [2024], recommended for you, 10 ways to stop sandfly bites, what is the cost of a working holiday in new zealand, 10 super unique things in new zealand, destinations, travel tips, connect with us, accommodation.

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New Zealand government reviews workplace health and safety system

The New Zealand government is reviewing the nation’s health and safety system after acknowledging it has failed to significantly reduce work-related deaths and injuries.

The country’s rates of workplace harm are higher than comparable countries like Australia and the UK. 

In mid-June, the government announced a nationwide consultation on the Health and Safety Work Act (HSWA) 2015 to seek views on what revisions could be made to improve its effectiveness. 

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden admitted the current rules are not ‘fit for purpose’ , adding that ‘legal requirements that make sense in some areas don’t always make sense in others’.

With the 10th anniversary since the HSWA 2015 came into force approaching, the government has decided to canvass views and see whether the current OSH requirements are ‘too strict or ambiguous to comply with, the overlap of workplace safety legislation with other regulations and workplace risk management.’

International Labour Organization (ILO) data updated earlier this year reveals that New Zealand’s rate of occupational fatalities, which is 2.3 per 100,000 workers, is higher than comparable countries such as Australia (1.6 per 100,000 workers) and the UK (0.8 per 100,000 workers). 

Also, the country’s rate of non-fatal occupational injuries – 1,200 per 100,000 workers is also worse than Australia (899 per 100,000 workers) and the UK (692 per 100,000 workers).   Despite the introduction of the HSWA 2015, around 50-60 people are killed in work-related accidents each year .

In addition to these figures, it is estimated that between 750 and 900 people die from work-related ill health and 400-500 are hospitalised with a serious work-related injury. One of the criticisms often levelled at the New Zealand system is that the nation’s legislation is not backed up by strong enforcement. 

An independent review of New Zealand’s workplace regulator WorkSafe by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment in 2022 noted that the regulator wasn’t clear about its role. Significantly, WorkSafe was unable to say whether its enforcement was cost-effective or reducing workplace harm.

The regulator announced a new health and safety at work strategy earlier this year that focuses on ‘acute, chronic and catastrophic harm’. It has also prioritised high-risk sectors such as forestry, transport, manufacturing and construction. 

Although welcomed, commentators have pointed out that the HSWA 2015 still requires WorkSafe to enforce other industries. In addition, any revised health and safety system needs to set clear standards for different industries. These industries also need to know what is expected of them, particularly small businesses, which need advice, support and training.

The HSWA 2015 has built an overly complex system based on compliance, which has failed to deliver any meaningful change

Some industry commentators would also like to see the government update the 10-year health and safety at work strategy 2018-2028 , which the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment published, so it contains a clear guide on how regulators like WorkSafe and industry can measure OSH improvements. 

To further strengthen the OSH system, there are also calls for the government to develop a complete set of regulations and approved codes of practice with industry.

Responding to the government’s announcement that it will consult on a review of the HSWA 2015, Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) Chief Executive Brett O’Riley said: ‘The current health and safety framework is not working as well as it should be. We know that because there are still far too many New Zealanders being hurt at work and our rates of harm are far higher than other comparable countries.’

O’Riley added that EMA members have often complained that the HSWA 2015 has ‘built an overly complex system based on compliance’, which has failed to deliver any ‘meaningful change’.  

The EMA, he said, was calling for legislation and regulations that are ‘clear, consistent, understandable and effective’. 

‘They also need to be adaptable and allow employers to implement appropriate health and safety policies and procedures that reflect the actual risk of different work environments.’

The EMA would also like to see a ‘modern and well-resourced regulator’ to oversee the system. O’Riley reiterated a recommendation made by the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety for an inspector ratio of 10.7 inspectors per 100,000 workers; the current ratio is 6.3. 

‘It is important that this inspector ratio is improved as part of the wider work being done to improve our health and safety framework, enabling a system that enforces minimum standards and is better positioned to prevent workplace accidents before they occur,’ he said.

• King’s speech: bill to curb worker exploitation and boost workers’ rights
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Towards a stronger safety net to prevent abuse of children, a review of the implementation of the recommendations of dame karen poutasi following the death of malachi subecz.

About this report

Malachi Subecz was not in State care but reports of concern had been made about him. Six government agencies completed reviews of their own processes, and chief executives also commissioned a system-wide review from Dame Karen Poutasi (the Poutasi review). The Poutasi review referred to there being those who tried to act but were not listened to, those who were uncertain but did not act, and those who knew but chose not to act.

This report looks at whether the recommendations made by the Poutasi review have been actioned. It also looks at whether the actions arising from the individual agencies’ own reviews have been completed and whether tamariki Close tamariki Children (plural) aged 0-13 years View the full glossary are safer as a result.

Our report found that tamariki (children) are no safer now than when Malachi died.

Download the PDF version (PDF 1.36 MB) Read foreword and key findings in te reo Māori Read the agency responses

This report looks at the implementation of the recommendations made by Dame Karen Poutasi in her review of the children’s sector identification and response to suspected abuse following the death of Malachi Subecz.

Dame Karen’s review was not the first to look into the failure of state agencies to keep a child safe from abuse. She quotes from other reviews dating back more than two decades. One of her recommendations was that we, in our new system-wide role, monitor the implementation of the recommendations made in her report after 12 months.

This is our first in-depth review to be commissioned by request. It is perhaps also the most important, addressing the fundamental question of whether tamariki Close tamariki Children (plural) aged 0-13 years View the full glossary are being kept safe from harm. The progress to date was disappointing.

The lack of urgency, and what appears to be a lack of priority given to addressing child abuse in New Zealand, is hard to understand. While it is important not to make hasty decisions that may have unintended consequences, it is concerning that there has not been greater progress.

Sadly, the death of Malachi is not an isolated incident. Data from Child Matters shows that on average, one child in New Zealand dies because of abuse every five weeks 1 . Most of these children are under five years of age, and the largest group is under one year old. This is one of the highest rates in the OECD.

It is imperative that change occurs. Reviews of deaths of children from abuse going back more than two decades have made similar recommendations to the Poutasi review. This suggests that any changes made in response to earlier reviews have not addressed the root causes of why the system is failing to respond to harm at the earliest possible opportunity.

In her 2022 review, Dame Karen noted Mel Smith’s words from his 2011 review of a case of serious abuse: “this is a heinous crime” and “whatever needs to be done must be done”. Regrettably, as Dame Karen found in 2022, these words still need repeating.

As a country, we have shown we can make significant change when needed. Notably the response to Covid-19, which required responses across agencies and a number of legislative changes. When a matter is identified as a national priority, action can happen quickly.

We will continue to monitor implementation of Dame Karen’s recommendations, and of the actions outlined in agency reviews, and report on this again in another 12 months.

Arran Jones Chief Executive

Nova Banaghan Chief Monitor

Acknowledgement

Our heartfelt thanks go to those who shared information with us for this report.

We acknowledge the whānau Close whānau Whānau refers to people who are biologically linked or share whakapapa. For the Monitor’s monitoring purposes, whānau includes parents, whānau members living with tamariki at the point they have come into care View the full glossary of Malachi Subecz, some of whom met with us. We hope our next report can give you confidence that, for other tamariki Close tamariki Children (plural) aged 0-13 years View the full glossary and their families, those who know are taking action, and those who take action are being listened to.

We are grateful to the Oranga Tamariki kaimahi who met with us and talked so openly about their mahi Close mahi Work View the full glossary in the hope that things will improve for tamariki.

Key findings

Tamariki are no safer now than when Malachi died

Introduction

Who was Malachi?

Our approach

Response to the Poutasi review

Findings of the Poutasi review

Approach to the recommendations

Closing the critical gaps

Agency reviews

Oranga Tamariki

Department of Corrections

Ministry of Social Development

Ministry of Education

New Zealand Police

Ministry of Health

Appendix A: Child protection policy compliance

1 https://www.childmatters.org.nz/insights/nz-statistics/

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New Zealand’s most popular cycling trail is truly epic

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Given the name “Alps to Ocean”, you’d be forgiven for assuming that New Zealand’s longest Great Ride is all downhill. It’s not. There are several testing climbs, the most challenging being a five-kilometre ascent on a narrow, organ-jumbling trail that leads to the ride’s loftiest point, the 900-metre-high summit of Tarnbrae Saddle. Even for those of us on e-bikes, it’s a grind, but the view from the top is just reward – a yawning vista that includes the sparkling blue waters of Lake Ohau and the soaring flanks of its glacier-carved valley.

New Zealand’s Alps to Ocean bike ride offers many rewarding views.

To be fair, the climb is optional, and several of our group have chosen to be bussed around to Quailburn woolshed, where we’ll meet again for afternoon tea. It’s one of the many benefits of this six-day guided tour with Adventure South. Not only is our luggage whisked between hotels each day, but the support van is never far away should someone have a mechanical issue or decide they want to opt out of a leg.

Opting out isn’t a phrase in 78-year-old Rowan McKeon’s vocabulary. A retired teacher from Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, he cheerfully tackles everything the trail throws at us, moseying along at his own pace and clearly enjoying every minute of it. “I keep asking my body to do things,” he tells me one night over dinner, “and to my surprise it keeps saying yes.”

Geological wonderland

It’s hard to think of another six-day ride that delivers such an impressive variety of terrain. There are two official starting points, one in Mount Cook Village under the lofty glare of New Zealand’s highest mountain, and another in Tekapo, a small township on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Adventure South offers departures from both, with the former including an exhilarating – but weather-dependent – helicopter transfer over the Tasman River.

The six-day ride delivers an impressive variety of terrain.

We’re on the latter, slightly shorter itinerary (296 kilometres v 316), so begin our trip with a night in Tekapo, an attractive town that by day offers captivating views over the turquoise-hued lake and by night provides spectacular stargazing thanks to its location within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.

We’re in the heart of Mackenzie Country, a semi-arid elevated plateau in the centre of the South Island that’s surrounded by mountains. It should be famous for being the country’s largest elliptical intermontane basin, but is better known for being named after Scottish sheep rustler James McKenzie.

From here, the trail heads southwest to Twizel and Omarama, before veering southeast to follow the Waitaki River towards Oamaru on the coast. Along the way, it skirts several large natural and artificial lakes, including Lake Pukaki, Lake Ohau, Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore, which form the backbone of a complex system of hydroelectric dams and canals. Cycling next to a man-made hydro-canal might not sound like the most enthralling experience, but a clear, crisp morning, cruising along a quiet, canal-side path towards a horizon studded with the snow-capped Southern Alps turns out to be some of the loveliest cycling I’ve done.

We encounter a geologist’s dream of noteworthy formations, including visible terracing on the hillsides above Lake Ohau that were created by a glacier as it repeatedly advanced and retreated along the valley. At the end of the lake are some of the world’s best examples of terminal moraines – 18,000-year-old piles of debris that mark the glacier’s furthest advance.

Following the Waitaki Valley towards the coast, we plunge into a dramatic world of limestone gullies that harbour a treasure trove of remarkably well-preserved fossils, including the jawbone of a 25-millon-year-old baleen whale that’s on display near Duntroon.

Fuel for the ride.

There’s evidence of Maori activity here too, particularly at Takiroa, a limestone cliff bearing red ochre and charcoal rock art dating from about 1400AD. Unfortunately, a lot of it has been removed for display in museums and what’s left is a little underwhelming. Or, as one booming American announces on his way out, “That’s the most disappointing cave art I’ve ever seen.”

Still, the combination of the valley’s Maori heritage, notable fossil record and unique geology was enough to convince UNESCO to declare it Australasia’s first Global Geopark, in 2023.

Guiding lights

Shepherding us through this remarkable landscape are guides Sam Prior and Henry Conquer, who alternate between cycling and driving the support van. I’ve done several trips with Adventure South and am always amazed at how passionate, knowledgeable and capable the guides are, particularly ones like Prior and Conquer, who are both in their early 20s – an age at which I could barely tie my own shoelaces, let alone explain complex geological formations and reverse a van with a trailer attached.

Each day we rendezvous with the vehicle at regular intervals, including morning and afternoon tea, which is served with an impressive assortment of fresh fruit and sweet treats. Lunches are normally a takeaway sandwich savoured in a scenic spot, occasionally accompanied by a breath-stealing dip in a glacial lake. Dinners are hearty regional feasts in a local restaurant with a glass or three of excellent local pinot.

E-bikes make the trip less painful.

Of the 11 people in the group, six of us are using e-bikes, which have the obvious advantages of making the ascents less painful and allowing people of different abilities to cycle together. Two less-publicised disadvantages are that you tend to eat the same amount as if you were on a normal bike (so don’t expect to lose any weight) and you’ll still need to spend about six hours a day getting intimately acquainted with a backside-tenderising saddle (so don’t skip the pre-trip training).

On average, we cover about 60 kilometres a day on either quiet backroads or well-maintained gravel bike paths. Most of the more challenging single track sections are optional, but they’re also the most exciting and scenic parts of the trip. Despite celebrating its 10-year anniversary last year, the trail is still evolving, and in December 2020, a dramatic section was opened through Bog Roy Station that traverses high above the emerald waters of Lake Benmore. It’s arguably one of the finest pieces of single track in the country and naturally Rowan is at the front of our group.

Given the popularity of the Alps to Ocean trail, I’m amazed we don’t see more people on it. Part of the reason is that the departures of the big tour operators are strategically staggered to keep groups apart. The other factor is that very few people attempt it in reverse (cycling the “Ocean to Alps” has an alarmingly uphill ring to it), so you scarcely encounter anyone coming the other way. As a Kiwi I meet at a lookout one day overlooking Lake Benmore puts it, “It feels like we’re the only ones on the planet, eh?”

Regional gems

One of the great joys of a trip like this is the intriguing small towns you visit along the way. Once the terminus of a now-defunct railway line, Duntroon is a classic example of a place that’s enjoying a new lease of life thanks to the trail. During a coffee stop at the Barbie-pink Flying Pig Cafe, there’s time to explore the town’s improbable bounty of attractions, which include the Vanished World Centre, a museum containing hundreds of fossils collected by local farmers (including several giant moa bones); a working blacksmith’s; a spooky, mannequin-filled restored jail; a fantastic wetlands walk full of native plants and quite possibly New Zealand’s fanciest public toilets. Not bad for a town of 96 people.

Oamaru is a beautifully preserved Victorian shopping precinct.

Our end point of Oamaru is a much more established tourist drawcard. The largest town in the Waitaki District, it’s known for its beautifully preserved Victorian shopping precinct, radical steampunk museum and colony of adorable little blue penguins.

For us, it marks the end of an almost 300-kilometre journey from the foothills of the Southern Alps to the foreshore of the Pacific Ocean. We celebrate with a group photo at the official finish marker, a giant photo frame overlooking Oamaru Harbour. All in all, it’s been an epic trip – perhaps the most enjoyable multi-day cycle ride I’ve ever done. Even if it wasn’t all downhill.

The details

Fly Air New Zealand and Qantas both fly to Christchurch. See airnewzealand.com.au ; qantas.com

Tour Starting and ending in Christchurch, the six-day Alps to Ocean Classic trip includes five nights’ accommodation, most meals and full vehicle support, from $NZ2895 ($2690) a person. Guests can bring their own bike or hire one for $NZ180 ($NZ600 for an e-bike). See adventuresouth.co.nz

More www.alps2ocean.com

The writer was a guest of Tourism New Zealand ( newzealand.com ) and Adventure South.

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