KEY POINTS:
Don't despair if you have not booked a Christmas or New Year holiday yet - there are still options for a getaway.
You might not be able to secure a prime beachfront section in the Bay of Islands or Coromandel, but those willing to be a little more flexible about where they stay can still find accommodation at campgrounds, holiday homes and hotels across the country.
The "last minute" section of the website www.holidayhomes.co.nz still had several options for people looking yesterday for a beach Christmas.
Pip Harvey, spokeswoman for the website, said many owners tended to use their holiday homes themselves over the Christmas/New Year period, but the site had experienced an increase in people letting their properties for three or four days during the peak season.
"Everybody's looking to try and pay their rates," she said.
In other popular coastal destinations, bookings appeared to be close to capacity, but Tim Burgess of Tourism Bay of Plenty said if people were prepared to ring around, they would find somewhere to stay.
"There's still some capacity and there are bargains to be had," he said.
Prime sites at Mt Maunganui and Papamoa were full, but some campgrounds in Tauranga and Waihi Beach had space.
Destination Northland said that from January 3, places opened up again at campgrounds and motels.
Prices for all types of accommodation tend to get steeper the closer bookings get to New Year, but a quick search of www.wotif.com showed no shortage of motels and hotels with festive season vacancies.
Rotorua and the wine region of Martinborough were two examples of places with a variety of accommodation options throughout the holiday period.
For those wanting to venture further south, the Interislander ferry across Cook Strait also reported some space on sailings.
"If people are reasonably flexible about when they want to travel, we can accommodate them," spokesman Nigel Parry said.
Two sailings on December 30, for example, still had vacancies for vehicles, and the sooner bookings were made, the more likelihood passengers could take advantage of saver fares. Trains linking with ferries at both Wellington and Picton also had spare seats.
Dominic Moran of Destination Marlborough said most accommodation in holiday hot spots was booked up, but if people contacted i-Site visitor centres in the area, every effort would be made to find them a bed.
"We're certainly not putting up the go-away signs."
LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY IDEAS
* Baches and Holiday Homes to Rent website (www.holidayhomes.co.nz)
Among the properties available yesterday were a bach 200m walk from Flaxmill Bay, near Cook's Beach on the Coromandel, and another at nearby Pauanui with room to sleep 10 people. Both were available over Christmas until December 27.
* Freedom camping on the East Coast (www.gdc.govt.nz/quickfind/freedomcamping.htm). Buy a permit from the Gisborne i-Site centre or the Gisborne District Council which entitles you to camp at several beach sites on the coast between Gisborne and Te Araroa.
The permits cost $10 for two nights or $25 for 10 nights, for up to six people, and cover the cost of rubbish collection. Other than that, the campgrounds have no facilities, and campers require their own chemical toilet, water supply and gas cooker (no open fires are allowed).
