Low budget campers with motorhomes certified self-contained by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association may be interested in overnighting at Kawaroa Park, a central sea-side location in New Plymouth, which requires no charge for your stay. On- and off-street parking costs between $1 and $2 an hour in the central business district of New Plymouth, though there is one free car park – note the time restrictions before you leave your car for an extended period – on Upper Courtenay Street in front of The Warehouse. If you’re arriving by car and need to leave it somewhere while you explore via campervan, you can park your car at the New Plymouth airport for $80 a week. New Plymouth is located at the junction of State Highways 3 and 45. Travellers headed north to Hamilton or south to Wellington will follow north-south bound State Highway 3. For a more scenic coastal route south, consider following State Highway 45, which circumvents Mount Taranaki on its westward side. There are plenty of great day trips to take from New Plymouth with a motorhome hire, whether you follow State Highway 3 south of the city to its intersection with Monmouth Road for some incredible hikes or skiing on the mountain; or head 35 km northeast along State Highway 3 to try out some of Mike’s Organic award-winning beer; or you follow your nose to the scents of the area’s renowned gardens directly in New Plymouth, in Kaponga, or in Hawera – or the little known but magical Te Popo Gardens south of the city. Or just stay in town to explore Pukekura Park, 52 hectares of manicured and beautiful land that is one of New Zealand’s Gardens of National Significance. Stock your refrigerator before you disembark with your campervan at any of the convenient grocery locations, including New World, Pak’n Save, and Countdown, lining State Highway 45’s path through New Plymouth.