Mayor Sheryl Mai: Freedom camping front of mind for Whangārei councillors as summer rolls on 17 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM 3 minutes to read Freedom campers at a site in Whangārei in 2016. The global pandemic's most noticeable impact this summer has been the lack of international tourists, especially at freedom camping sites. Photo / File Freedom campers at a site in Whangārei in 2016. The global pandemic's most noticeable impact this summer has been the lack of international tourists, especially at freedom camping sites. Photo / File FROM THE MAYOR'S DESK What a welcome to 2021 we've had – glorious weather, just enough rain to top up the tanks and uncrowded, warm-water, white sand beaches. With everything that's happening in the rest of the world, it