Stocking Up a Campervan Before Northland: Food, Fuel, Gas and Water

Quick summary: Auckland and Whangārei are where you do the big shops on a Northland campervan or motorhome trip. North of Whangārei, towns get smaller and supermarkets fewer, and beyond Kaitāia, on the road to Cape Reinga, there’s very little at all. Stock the cupboards near the depot, top up in Whangārei and Kerikeri, and fill everything, from fuel to fresh water, before heading into the far north or along the west coast.

At a glance
Big shop	Near the Auckland depots, before heading north
Last large towns north	Whangārei, then Kerikeri and Kaitāia
Far north	Limited stores north of Kaitāia; fill up before Cape Reinga
West coast	Small stores in the Hokianga; Dargaville is the main town
Gas	Swap or refill bottles at service stations in the main towns
Dump stations	Holiday parks, some service stations and council sites

Where should you do your main shop?

Near the depot, before you leave Auckland. Large supermarkets sit close to the airport depots and along the route north, including on the North Shore and in towns such as Silverdale and Ōrewa. Warkworth is the last sizeable town before the Brynderwyn Hills, and Whangārei is the biggest centre in Northland, with several large supermarkets.

What should you buy?

Most rental campervans and motorhomes come with bedding and kitchen equipment, so the list is mostly food and consumables:

• Breakfasts, lunches and simple one-pan dinners, plus snacks for beach stops.
• Drinking water for the first day.
• Toilet treatment and suitable toilet paper, if not supplied.
• Rubbish bags, as some remote campsites have no bins and you take rubbish out with you.
• Sunscreen, hats and insect repellent, essential in Northland’s sun.
• Swimming and snorkelling gear, if you have room.

Where are the supply stops on each route?

Heading to	Last larger towns	Notes
The Bay of Islands	Whangārei, Kawakawa, Paihia, Kerikeri	Paihia and Kerikeri have supermarkets
Doubtless Bay and Karikari	Kerikeri, Mangōnui	Mangōnui and Coopers Beach have smaller stores
Cape Reinga	Kaitāia	Small stores at Houhora and Pukenui; very little beyond
The Hokianga	Kaikohe, Kaitāia	Small stores in Rawene, Kohukohu and Ōpononi
The Kauri Coast	Dargaville	Few services in Waipoua Forest

How should you plan fuel in Northland?

Fuel is easy to find on State Highway 1 and in the main towns, but stations thin out on the back roads, around the Hokianga and in the far north. Fill up in Kaitāia before heading to Cape Reinga, and before driving the west coast through Waipoua Forest. Check whether your vehicle takes diesel or petrol before the first stop.

Where can you refill RV gas bottles in Northland?

Many service stations in Whangārei, Kerikeri, Kaitāia and the other main towns offer gas bottle swaps or refills, and some holiday parks sell gas too. Ask the depot which bottle your vehicle uses, and check the level before heading somewhere remote, since cooking and hot water both rely on it.

Where can you empty tanks and fill water?

Holiday parks are the easiest place to empty waste tanks and fill fresh water, and many have dump stations. Council-provided dump stations are found in some towns, and camping apps list their locations. The far north has few, so empty your tanks and fill your water in Kaitāia or the Bay of Islands before heading to Cape Reinga, where campsites have minimal facilities. Never empty grey or black water anywhere but a dump station.

What is easy to forget?

• Cash, for honesty boxes at some community campgrounds and roadside stalls.
• Extra drinking water for the far north and west coast.
• Rubbish bags, for campsites with no bins.
• A torch, for evenings at campsites without lighting.

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