Okay2stay

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Okay2stay is a website which provides its members with a list of places they can park for one night free of charge. These locations are called hosts and they are mainly small producers such as wineries, olive groves, lavender farms, artisan cheese makers etc. Hosts do not provide any services such as toilets showers or electricity – therefore members' vehicles must be totally self-contained. In exchange for their overnight stay, members are expected to purchase some of the product the host makes, eg stay at a vineyard and buy a bottle or two of wine. It is designed to be win/win.

Self-containment

What does self-contained mean?
A self-contained vehicle meets all the requirements of the NZS 5465:2001 standard. It must display a current self-containment warrant card on the left front or left side window and a blue self-containment sticker on the rear. Your vehicle must be equipped with a toilet that is readily usable within the vehicle, with sufficient head and elbow room, even with the bed made up.
Why must my vehicle be self-contained?
Host are not campgrounds so they don’t provide electricity or toilets. Your vehicle must be self-contained to stay with Okay2stay hosts (and to freedom camp in most places in NZ). During the colder months your vehicle will also need gas or diesel heating if you want to stay toasty warm.
Won't I need electricity to power the lights?
Your motorhome will have two batteries – a starter battery as in a normal vehicle, and a leisure battery which runs the lights and probably the refrigerator. Normal driving during the day recharges both of these batteries and therefore you should have enough charge in the leisure battery to run your lights etc overnight.
My campervan has a portable toilet - is that self-contained?
Self-containment rules allow for a portable toilet, but only if there is sufficient head and elbow room that it can be always used inside the vehicle – even when the bed is made up. Ideally, your vehicle would have a separate toilet cubicle.

Hosts

What's in it for the hosts?
Our hosts are all committed to their land and the production of quality food and wine. They love what they do, but they aren’t in it for entertainment – they need to make a living. So, as a member of Okay2stay they welcome you to stay overnight and to take a look, purchase and enjoy some of their delicious wares. That way it’s a win/win!
Are hosts throughout NZ?
Currently we have over 100 hosts all over New Zealand. The majority of them are rural but reasonably close to main tourist roads. They are located where products grow best. Some areas have quite a few hosts and some have none. For instance, there are no hosts in Te Anau or Milford Sound (it’s mainly national park) but there is a great selection of hosts in Nelson and Marlborough! Take a look at the map on our host page to see if there are hosts along your route.
What sort of things do hosts sell?
We select hosts because they produce something that will be desirable and practical for people travelling in motorhomes to buy – so no large stone sculptures! You will find boutique and artisan producers such as vineyards and breweries, as well as olive, lavender and berry growers. There are cheese makers, nut, fruit & vegie producers, organic producers and gourmet sausage makers, etc. Not only do they grow this delicious produce, they turn it into a mouth-watering array of preserves, chutneys, jams, pickles, sweets, ice creams, lotions and sometimes, potent brews! As well as producers of fine food and wine, there are rural award-winning restaurants, cafes and places that offer unique Kiwi experiences such as a high-country farm stay or unique museum. There are also a couple of ‘Pay2stays’ where a charge is made to stay but usually a discount is given for Okay2stay members.
Must I buy something?
Okay2stay is based on win/win. We ask that you make a purchase either for yourself or as a gift for family and friends to show your appreciation to your host. When considering how much you should spend with a host, please be generous and keep in mind how much you are saving by not staying at a campground. Many of the hosts have on-site cafes and restaurants which showcase their products. Gain the satisfaction of knowing where your food comes from and in supporting small family-operated farms.
Can I just show up or do I have to reserve a spot?
There is no formal booking system with Okay2stay. However, for most hosts it is essential that you email or phone ahead to let them know that you would like to stay - preferably at least the day before. Their listing will say if this is not necessary. There may occasionally be reasons why it is not suitable for hosts to have members to stay, or it may be that all allocated parks are taken. In that unlikely event, you will need to make alternative arrangements. Hosts are often away at Farmers' Markets at weekends so it pays to check a suitable arrival time. You may prefer to email a host well ahead of time if you would like more certainty. This usually works well for hosts too.
Is it worth it for non-drinkers?
In most areas there is a selection of hosts – and the selection is growing all the time. So if you don't drink wine you may prefer to choose a host that makes something else you would like to buy. However, having said that, some of our wineries are in magic locations with stunning views that you won't want to miss. Fortunately many of them have cafés or restaurants on site where you can purchase a legendary flat white coffee and delicious homemade muffin.

Membership

What does it cost to join?
The cost of joining Okay2stay is NZ$59 per van (not per person) and gives members access to host details for one year. If there are two or more vans travelling together, a membership will need to be purchased for each van. The average cost of a holiday park for two people for just one night is around $50. Stay two nights with Okay2stay hosts and you have recovered your accommodation costs as well as enjoying great local products and meeting real Kiwis!
How do I pay my membership?
When you join Okay2stay, payment is made online through the secure Stripe system. If you do not wish to use your debit or credit card then payment can be made through a direct bank payment. This may incur charges from your bank. Please use the Contact form to request Okay2stay bank details.
What do I get when I join?
To join Okay2stay go to our sign-up page and set yourself a password. Once your payment is processed and your membership created, you will receive an email confirming your membership. After logging in with your email and password you will have access to the 'members only' area. Here you will find details of all our hosts. You will be able to sort hosts by region or by what they produce, save your 'Favourites' and leave comments and photos. You will be able to view host details in List view, even when you are out of mobile coverage.
How do I prove to hosts that I am a member?
Your proof of your membership ID is shown in the My Details page. It gives your name, membership ID No and the expiry date of your membership. Display this ID on your device to your hosts on arrival, along with another form of ID such as a passport or driver licence.
Do I get a printed host directory?
In an effort to keep membership fees low and host listings as up-to-date as possible, we do not issue printed host directories. You will need to carry a smart phone, tablet or other device which can connect to the internet to receive updates.

Using the app

Can I still use Okay2stay when there is no mobile coverage?
With the new Okay2stay app you can view host details on or offline if your browser supports it. When using the app offline, accessing individual host pages, sorting hosts and saving hosts to Favourites is still easily done by choosing 'List' on the menu. When you are back with an internet connection the app will automatically update if there are any changes.

There are some parts of the app that can't be used offline, such as the photo gallery and the interactive host map because they would take up too much storage space on your device. Uploading photos and comments or changing your password also needs internet access.

Minimum requirements for offline use are:
Edge v17
Firefox v44
Chrome v45
Safari v11.1
Safari/Chrome for iOS v11.3
Android Chrome v67
Android Firefox v60
Samsung Internet v7.2
UC Browser for Android v11.8
Does navigation still work when I have no mobile coverage?
Google Maps is the default mapping that we use, but there is also the facility to navigate to hosts using the free Maps.Me app which works well offline and can be accessed from each host's page, just like Google maps. Before you can use Maps.Me it has to be downloaded from the app store, or downloaded via a link on an Okay2stay host page (along with the four maps covering New Zealand). It uses about 137MB in total - so download when you have a good wifi connection. Navigation also requires that Location is turned on on your device.
How do I download Okay2stay and how much storage does it use?
Okay2stay is a new breed of app called a progressive web app (PWA) and does not need to be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play. To get really technical - it is basically a website with 'clever bits' that turn it into an app and enable it to work on or offline. So the app is also the website when you are using your laptop or tablet. When first opening the app you will see a notification saying "Add Okay2stay to Home screen" - and that's all you have to do! (This prompt also appears before you login for the first time). The app uses only 220KB of storage.

After first login a prompt asks if you would like to download host images for offline use? This will take less than 30MB of storage and means that when you are not connected to the internet you will still be able to view host images.

Using the app

Can I still use Okay2stay when there is no mobile coverage?
With the new Okay2stay app you can view host details on or offline if your browser supports it. When using the app offline, accessing individual host pages, sorting hosts and saving hosts to Favourites is still easily done by choosing 'List' on the menu. When you are back with an internet connection the app will automatically update if there are any changes.

There are some parts of the app that can't be used offline, such as the photo gallery and the interactive host map because they would take up too much storage space on your device. Uploading photos and comments or changing your password also needs internet access.

Minimum requirements for offline use are:
Edge v17
Firefox v44
Chrome v45
Safari v11.1
Safari/Chrome for iOS v11.3
Android Chrome v67
Android Firefox v60
Samsung Internet v7.2
UC Browser for Android v11.8
Does navigation still work when I have no mobile coverage?
Google Maps is the default mapping that we use, but there is also the facility to navigate to hosts using the free Maps.Me app which works well offline and can be accessed from each host's page, just like Google maps. Before you can use Maps.Me it has to be downloaded from the app store, or downloaded via a link on an Okay2stay host page (along with the four maps covering New Zealand). It uses about 137MB in total - so download when you have a good wifi connection. Navigation also requires that Location is turned on on your device.
How do I download Okay2stay and how much storage does it use?
Okay2stay is a new breed of app called a progressive web app (PWA) and does not need to be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play. To get really technical - it is basically a website with 'clever bits' that turn it into an app and enable it to work on or offline. So the app is also the website when you are using your laptop or tablet. When first opening the app you will see a notification saying "Add Okay2stay to Home screen" - and that's all you have to do! (This prompt also appears before you login for the first time). The app uses only 220KB of storage.

After first login a prompt asks if you would like to download host images for offline use? This will take less than 30MB of storage and means that when you are not connected to the internet you will still be able to view host images.