Braden Fastier/Stuff
French travellers Thomas Weicheldinger, 24, and Clara Fremiot, 25, are nearing the end of their year-long journey.
Off season freedom camping has worked out well for Thomas Weicheldinger, 24, and Clara Fremiot, 25.
Weicheldinger and Fremiot arrived in New Zealand at the end of February, and were in Motueka when Stuff caught up with them last week.
During the winter they worked at a skifield in the North Island, and they stayed in a house over this period.
Freedom camping had suited them well, despite sometimes noisy campsites.
Braden Fastier/Stuff
Weicheldinger and Fremiot freedom camped near Motueka Beach’s Saltwater baths.
“I think we did it at a good time, [there weren’t] not that many people. You could arrive like pretty late in the evening and still have some room to park,” Weicheldinger said.
The pair used Wikicamp to see where spots were available and how early you needed to get there, which Fremiot said was useful.
Because they didn’t travel in the school holiday peak, they hadn’t seen how busy freedom camping spots could get.
“I think we would have had a different opinion if we had travelled in the summer,” Fremiot said.
“We’re not people who like being surrounded by hundreds of people.”
The couple are returning home on January 9 and are looking forward to some much missed French food and bread.
