Gillespies Beach Campsite
Gillespies Beach
4.4 110 reviews
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ReviewLittle Secrets
Cymen Crick
Rankers Crew
Unforgettable in the right weather
Unforgettable in the right weather
So worth the trip if you get some good weather. Not great in poor weather.
Sites 4-14 have the best view of mountains out the back of a van. Book ahead in peak season.
The road out is long and winding but as far as gravel roads go it is a goody. Even larger vehicles are OK, but take it nice and easy.
It feels a little trippy as you're basically driving through this lush rainforest at very close quarters.
Then you arrive to a location of remote wilderness.
This is why you have a Campervan, to spend the night in places like this.
The beach for sunset is really something else. And with the sun on the mountains it's a whole experience.
There's a big area for tents but not all of it is flat.
Toilets are well looked after, with a sink for washing up.
Top shelf on it's day.
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Information
Gillespies Beach Campsite
Camp near an old gold mining settlement and a seal colony. Tracks lead to historic suction and bucket dredges, and Galway Beach.
A primo spot next to the beach. The campsite is quite small and is very popular so getting a good spot may be a bit challenging, there is a good sized carpark though if you have a car or van to sleep in.
On a clear day you can catch glimpses of Mt Cook poking up from behind the bush. The beach itself is also amazing, it seems to go on forever with massive piles of driftwood to congregate around.
There are a couple of short walks around the area to a seal colony and an old gold mining bits and pieces.
Access to this site is windy and narrow and is not suitable for large vehicles.
Accommodation
DOC Campsite Pricing
Gillespies Beach Campsite is categorised as a DOC Standard Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing. Prices vary for some campsites and may include seasonal pricing. Visit the DOC website for exact pricing.
DOC Standard Campsite
Standard campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services than Serviced campsites. These campsites have toilets, a water supply that could be treated or untreated tap water, or from a stream or lake, and vehicle or boat access. Bring your own soap for washing hands. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Wood BBQs and fireplaces, cold showers, picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided; this will vary from site to site.
| Feature | Value | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Unpowered Site | Adult | $15.00 to $20.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Child | $7.50 to $10.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC West CoastCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Fox Glacier |
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Basic Camping
Google Maps
Reviews
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Nice and secluded.
Peter Moore -
Nice place next to the Beach.
Tom -
Great little place...
John -
Drive on dirt road was fine.
Helena Wong -
Really smelly toilets, not a lot of space.
Caroline Hennache
-
Beauty Spot!!
Clean toilets and sink area. Room for tents as well as many parking spots.
Incredible scenery when it is clear. West coast sunsets are incredible!!
-
Good spot, the gravel road is in good condition but take your time.
Toilets are very clean, there is a double sink and sheltered picnic tables. You can access the beach directly and see seals if you walk all the way to the right where the rocks are (it's a fair bit of a walk but worth it). It's easier to take the grass path first then go down on the beach, less windy.
-
Nice place.
You reserve a spot for a given number and arrive at a spot where there are no numbers. The last 10 km is a gravel road but in good condition. The toilets are very clean. You can wash your dishes in the sink. There is a phone signal but it sometimes drops out. There is a lot of wildlife at night so you can hear some sounds.
-
Make the effort.
Yes the road is 12k of gravel but it is well maintained. Just go slow. We had no trouble in our 7m camper. The views of the sunset over the beach in front and the reflection on Mt Cook behind are stunning. I had full mobile coverage here so do the right thing and book online or pay in cash when you arrive.
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Wunderschöner Standplatz am Meer mit Blick auf den Gletscher und die alpen.
Die letzten 12 km ist nur Schotter aber gut zu fahren sehr schöne Landschaft.
Minuspunkt die ganzen sandfliegen!
-
The location is beautiful.
Beach is beautiful, view on the mountains is absolutely spectacular. Facilities are super super basic.
The sandflies are an absolute nightmare here. We stayed on the 4th of October and we were attacked by them as soon as we get out of the vehicle.
Gravel road is doable, but just drive slowly and with much attention to the road.
-
If you dare to get through the 12km gravel road you‘ll be rewarded with a beautiful camping place with toilets, sink for the dishes, a stunning beach for the sunset and great views on the mountains.
-
The place is very beautiful and you are right next to the sea.
However, i think this should be a free camping because the only service available are two toilets; no potable water, no shower, no signal at all.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t enjoy it because all the flies that were eating us alive, despite wearing clothes or repellent all the time… they were all round you all the time.
Nice sunset and sunrise.
-
Nice place next to the Beach.
A Lot of Sandflies though (compared to the north, ir gets worse going South)
-
Big site, lots of spaces.
Good, clean toilets. Relatively easy drive, few small potholes from rain. Nice to wake up near the beach.
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Parking juste derrière la dune après une bonne dizaine de km de route en gravier.
Quelques tables de pique nique. Venté et bercé par le bruit des vagues. Deux toilettes fonctionnels. Un robinet d’eau marron.
Calme. Je recommande… d’autant qu’il y a très peu de sandflies.
-
Cheap and very nice area right beside the beach.
Little drive from town and a not great gravel road but not a big deal
-
Super remote spot on glorious beach.
Down good gravel track. Despite the signs, we easily managed it in a 7m camper van. Clean toilet. Well worth getting up early to walk around lake Matheson to catch the reflection.
-
Despite the road warnings our 6 meter Fiat Ducato camper handled it fine tho road can be narrow in places.
If you want to experience some West Coast isolation this could be it (we were there July 2020). Flush toilets w/paper. Bring your own water; pack out rubbish. Learning the history of the area made it even more interesting ... visit the old graveyard nearby.
-
The dirt road shouldn't put anyone off.
It is in good condition and no extra steep sections. We took a medium sized camper (Mercedes sprinter) down there no problems. Beach was pretty amazing just the power of the surf and the sun position. But warmer here than inland areas if camping in the shoulder season or winter. Windy. Flush toilets. No cell reception.
-
Gravel road through dense rainforest is very scenic and suitable for big vans if you drive slowly.
It is a parking lot with toilet facilities and some sinks. Fire pit and short walk to the beach. Great for a sunset. The driftwood makes the beach very special. Nice walks starts from DOC camping. We have seen 3 hector dolphins in the morning.
-
Really good spot.
Nice toilets/dishwashing facility. Short walk to the beach, and you get amazing views of the Glacier. Stop at lake Mathison on the way
-
After picking up our 6 berth campervan from Queenstown our first stop was Gillespie's Beach, naturally I wanted to go there because I'm also a Gillespie, arrived about 10.30pm that night, grabbed
a bite to eat and got the kids into bed, was about midnight that my partner and I decided to go stretch our legs down to the stony beach, the moon was up and the stony beach was glistening in the moonlight, the air was fresh due to the snowy mountains of mount cook standing directly behind us, it was an absolutely an amazing site to know that one side we had the ocean and the other were the mountains.the sunrise also made a spectacular view, found the doc camping ground really clean and tidy, even the flushing toilets were in good order, would of been great to have a walk around and learn the history of the site, but we sadly had to leave this part of paradise to continue our journey north. We will be back to stay a few more nights and to explore the rich history of Gillespie's beach. Golden rule always have a can of insect repellent handy... the sandflies come in there 100s. But definitely a spot to come back to.
-
Beauty Spot!!
Clean toilets and sink area. Room for tents as well as many parking spots.
Incredible scenery when it is clear. West coast sunsets are incredible!!
-
Good spot, the gravel road is in good condition but take your time.
Toilets are very clean, there is a double sink and sheltered picnic tables. You can access the beach directly and see seals if you walk all the way to the right where the rocks are (it's a fair bit of a walk but worth it). It's easier to take the grass path first then go down on the beach, less windy.
-
Nice place.
You reserve a spot for a given number and arrive at a spot where there are no numbers. The last 10 km is a gravel road but in good condition. The toilets are very clean. You can wash your dishes in the sink. There is a phone signal but it sometimes drops out. There is a lot of wildlife at night so you can hear some sounds.
-
Make the effort.
Yes the road is 12k of gravel but it is well maintained. Just go slow. We had no trouble in our 7m camper. The views of the sunset over the beach in front and the reflection on Mt Cook behind are stunning. I had full mobile coverage here so do the right thing and book online or pay in cash when you arrive.
-
Wunderschöner Standplatz am Meer mit Blick auf den Gletscher und die alpen.
Die letzten 12 km ist nur Schotter aber gut zu fahren sehr schöne Landschaft.
Minuspunkt die ganzen sandfliegen!
-
The location is beautiful.
Beach is beautiful, view on the mountains is absolutely spectacular. Facilities are super super basic.
The sandflies are an absolute nightmare here. We stayed on the 4th of October and we were attacked by them as soon as we get out of the vehicle.
Gravel road is doable, but just drive slowly and with much attention to the road.
-
If you dare to get through the 12km gravel road you‘ll be rewarded with a beautiful camping place with toilets, sink for the dishes, a stunning beach for the sunset and great views on the mountains.
-
The place is very beautiful and you are right next to the sea.
However, i think this should be a free camping because the only service available are two toilets; no potable water, no shower, no signal at all.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t enjoy it because all the flies that were eating us alive, despite wearing clothes or repellent all the time… they were all round you all the time.
Nice sunset and sunrise.
-
Nice place next to the Beach.
A Lot of Sandflies though (compared to the north, ir gets worse going South)
-
Big site, lots of spaces.
Good, clean toilets. Relatively easy drive, few small potholes from rain. Nice to wake up near the beach.
-
Parking juste derrière la dune après une bonne dizaine de km de route en gravier.
Quelques tables de pique nique. Venté et bercé par le bruit des vagues. Deux toilettes fonctionnels. Un robinet d’eau marron.
Calme. Je recommande… d’autant qu’il y a très peu de sandflies.
-
Cheap and very nice area right beside the beach.
Little drive from town and a not great gravel road but not a big deal
-
Super remote spot on glorious beach.
Down good gravel track. Despite the signs, we easily managed it in a 7m camper van. Clean toilet. Well worth getting up early to walk around lake Matheson to catch the reflection.
-
Really good spot.
Nice toilets/dishwashing facility. Short walk to the beach, and you get amazing views of the Glacier. Stop at lake Mathison on the way
-
Despite the road warnings our 6 meter Fiat Ducato camper handled it fine tho road can be narrow in places.
If you want to experience some West Coast isolation this could be it (we were there July 2020). Flush toilets w/paper. Bring your own water; pack out rubbish. Learning the history of the area made it even more interesting ... visit the old graveyard nearby.
-
The dirt road shouldn't put anyone off.
It is in good condition and no extra steep sections. We took a medium sized camper (Mercedes sprinter) down there no problems. Beach was pretty amazing just the power of the surf and the sun position. But warmer here than inland areas if camping in the shoulder season or winter. Windy. Flush toilets. No cell reception.
-
Gravel road through dense rainforest is very scenic and suitable for big vans if you drive slowly.
It is a parking lot with toilet facilities and some sinks. Fire pit and short walk to the beach. Great for a sunset. The driftwood makes the beach very special. Nice walks starts from DOC camping. We have seen 3 hector dolphins in the morning.
-
After picking up our 6 berth campervan from Queenstown our first stop was Gillespie's Beach, naturally I wanted to go there because I'm also a Gillespie, arrived about 10.30pm that night, grabbed
a bite to eat and got the kids into bed, was about midnight that my partner and I decided to go stretch our legs down to the stony beach, the moon was up and the stony beach was glistening in the moonlight, the air was fresh due to the snowy mountains of mount cook standing directly behind us, it was an absolutely an amazing site to know that one side we had the ocean and the other were the mountains.the sunrise also made a spectacular view, found the doc camping ground really clean and tidy, even the flushing toilets were in good order, would of been great to have a walk around and learn the history of the site, but we sadly had to leave this part of paradise to continue our journey north. We will be back to stay a few more nights and to explore the rich history of Gillespie's beach. Golden rule always have a can of insect repellent handy... the sandflies come in there 100s. But definitely a spot to come back to.
-
Nice quiet camp, close enough to beach so you can hear as you fall asleep but far enough so your sheltered from the sea breeze.
Beautiful sunset, sandflies are present so take your repellent. Clean flushing toilets with basic wash basin. Take your own drinking water. Great walks down the beach. Secure your stuff, Kia’s were there in the morning and relocated out footwear and wrecked another campers shoes. Shoutout to Bridget and Brett from Australia for the good yarns.
-
The place is lovely.
starting point of great walks along the beach to the lagoon. Way to seal colony still closed. Facilities okay for doc camp site. Payed 8$ per person. Wonderful views over the mountains...