Caroline Bay
Overnight Campervan Parking
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Caroline Bay
This is a great place for the self-contained gang to stay for the evening. You can park up very close to the beach, just on the edge of the CBD in Caroline Bay (adjacent to roller skating rink).
Please make sure you vacate the area between 10am and 4pm everyday. This site is limited to 10 campervans/motorhomes at any time.
At certain times of the year you can fully get in amongst the carnies when the circus comes to town. Go the candy floss!
Details
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Organisation |
Timaru District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Timaru |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Freedom Camping
Nearby
Reviews
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0.5/5
We were going to stay here 12th September.
Arrived at the site to find it cramped and a decidedly suspect pair in a dodgy looking camper who got out to check us out. Didn't feel safe at all and so made the decision to go to the Top 10 Holiday Park instead. Sad that we didn't get to see the penguins.
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4.5/5
It's a parking lot next to the harbour.
Toilets, cold showers, dumping station and fresh water available.
We also watched out for the penguins, one came by at 21.30pm. Just 10 cars allowed, there was definetly more, no one came to control
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1.5/5
Very loud from the port during all hours of the night..
didn’t read one comment about it but definitely wanted to add. If I knew how loud it was going to be I wouldn’t have picked this spot. Couldn’t sleep at all. Besides that, good facilities, flash toilets, drinking water and dump station in a very convenient area.
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4.0/5
Decent place to spend the night here - close to the town if you need any supplies, and there’s a public toilet, clean drinking water available, and you can have a shower (outside so just be aware).
Short walk to where the penguins come in - we saw 2, a really lovely experience, and who can complain when it’s free. Nice swim on the beach in the morning. Description says about 10 campers - didn’t seem to be any such restriction at the site.
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5.0/5
Amazing campsite!
Right on the beach, close to downtown and close to the penguin. Bathrooms, change rooms, water and a shower. Everything you need.
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5.0/5
The best parking lot seen to date.
Toilet with flush, cold shower, dump station, besch, nice view, just beside wonderful park and the most crazy playground EVER, just few 100 meters away. Pinguins at night (after sunset), city near by with shops and restaurants.
We saw 4 penguins, they turned up about 45 minutes after sunset (22.05). Our children loved the playground, the teens the free wifi at the library and the adults the penguins. We were there a friday with sun and little wind. Very quiet spot, even though there was some cars racing beside the penguins spot around 9-11 PM.
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4.5/5
Awesome experience to watch penguins after sunset!
Must do. Facilites were okay, cold showers, dumping and water station were available. Nice picnic area with ocean view, but the lights from the Harbour can be annoying. Lots of parking spaces but officially only 10 vehicles for overnight camping allowed. We were about 20 overnight campers and no one checked.
Can recommend!
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4.0/5
Here in Nov.
Lot almost filled up but folks were quiet. Some highway noise, big field with picnic tables, functional bathroom. Highlight is that at sundown you can walk 5 minutes up on the port road and look down on the penguins popping out of the sea to head for their nests in the rocks.
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4.5/5
We arrived in the dark having driven further than we expected due to the flooding of roads south of Chch.
Flat carpark area. Toilets were fine. We left early the next day. Good place for an overnight stop.
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5.0/5
Great place to spend a night!
Toilets, changing rooms, cold shower, rubbish and recycling bins, dump station and drinking water tap…and little blue penguins after sunset coming to the beach!
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4.0/5
As described by other people, beautiful location with a great park.
The aviary is worth a visit and lots for children to do. We only saw one penguin unfortunately but I think that depends on the time of year. Shower is outdoors and toilets basic and open, and without toilet paper. Quite busy when we were there but very quiet.
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4.5/5
Amazing for seeing the penguins - after sunset up on the port road for best views!
Very busy parking lot with some longer term stayers. Good facilities including a shower and drinking water which is a rarity! Bit of a walk into town. Also the nearby seafood market is just a tiny fishmonger counter!
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0.5/5
We were going to stay here 12th September.
Arrived at the site to find it cramped and a decidedly suspect pair in a dodgy looking camper who got out to check us out. Didn't feel safe at all and so made the decision to go to the Top 10 Holiday Park instead. Sad that we didn't get to see the penguins.
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4.5/5
It's a parking lot next to the harbour.
Toilets, cold showers, dumping station and fresh water available.
We also watched out for the penguins, one came by at 21.30pm. Just 10 cars allowed, there was definetly more, no one came to control
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1.5/5
Very loud from the port during all hours of the night..
didn’t read one comment about it but definitely wanted to add. If I knew how loud it was going to be I wouldn’t have picked this spot. Couldn’t sleep at all. Besides that, good facilities, flash toilets, drinking water and dump station in a very convenient area.
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4.0/5
Decent place to spend the night here - close to the town if you need any supplies, and there’s a public toilet, clean drinking water available, and you can have a shower (outside so just be aware).
Short walk to where the penguins come in - we saw 2, a really lovely experience, and who can complain when it’s free. Nice swim on the beach in the morning. Description says about 10 campers - didn’t seem to be any such restriction at the site.
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5.0/5
Amazing campsite!
Right on the beach, close to downtown and close to the penguin. Bathrooms, change rooms, water and a shower. Everything you need.
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5.0/5
The best parking lot seen to date.
Toilet with flush, cold shower, dump station, besch, nice view, just beside wonderful park and the most crazy playground EVER, just few 100 meters away. Pinguins at night (after sunset), city near by with shops and restaurants.
We saw 4 penguins, they turned up about 45 minutes after sunset (22.05). Our children loved the playground, the teens the free wifi at the library and the adults the penguins. We were there a friday with sun and little wind. Very quiet spot, even though there was some cars racing beside the penguins spot around 9-11 PM.
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4.5/5
Awesome experience to watch penguins after sunset!
Must do. Facilites were okay, cold showers, dumping and water station were available. Nice picnic area with ocean view, but the lights from the Harbour can be annoying. Lots of parking spaces but officially only 10 vehicles for overnight camping allowed. We were about 20 overnight campers and no one checked.
Can recommend!
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4.0/5
Here in Nov.
Lot almost filled up but folks were quiet. Some highway noise, big field with picnic tables, functional bathroom. Highlight is that at sundown you can walk 5 minutes up on the port road and look down on the penguins popping out of the sea to head for their nests in the rocks.
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4.5/5
We arrived in the dark having driven further than we expected due to the flooding of roads south of Chch.
Flat carpark area. Toilets were fine. We left early the next day. Good place for an overnight stop.
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5.0/5
Great place to spend a night!
Toilets, changing rooms, cold shower, rubbish and recycling bins, dump station and drinking water tap…and little blue penguins after sunset coming to the beach!
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4.0/5
As described by other people, beautiful location with a great park.
The aviary is worth a visit and lots for children to do. We only saw one penguin unfortunately but I think that depends on the time of year. Shower is outdoors and toilets basic and open, and without toilet paper. Quite busy when we were there but very quiet.
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4.5/5
Amazing for seeing the penguins - after sunset up on the port road for best views!
Very busy parking lot with some longer term stayers. Good facilities including a shower and drinking water which is a rarity! Bit of a walk into town. Also the nearby seafood market is just a tiny fishmonger counter!
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5.0/5
What a find lovely overnight spot right next to the beach no toulet but one nearby you can use.
Lovely beach to wander along
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4.0/5
Great place to sop Labour weekend so no noise from container port.
Good beach nice walk. Toilets not that clean dump station
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4.0/5
Great little spot next to the beach and close to town.
It’s set next to a large and active port (containers), so looking one way you see containers and the other way you see the beach. Toilets are a bit open to the elements but are clean and maintained daily. There is also a dump station too but no potable water
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4.0/5
A bit of noise from the port and you are basically in a car park.
But the park and beach are close by and very handy to the town centre.
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3.0/5
Penguins are the main attraction of this site.
Plenty of rubbish bins, okay toilets. Not the quietest place, as plenty of people are around recreationally, and the port can be quite noisy. A few interesting characters about. Unclear as to whether you can freedom camp in the parking closest to the water, or only by the toilets
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5.0/5
WOW! A beautiful relaxed restful spot, toilets available 24/7, access to great walkways, penguin colony and town, plenty of parking, THANK YOU Timaru...a lovely spot indeed
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2.5/5
Noisy and small as some commented but right on the beach, may be good for some.
I only stopped for the dump station and toilets for a little while and noticed some creepy people coming and going with dogs, what's going on there? Lol
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5.0/5
Carpark opposite the port (not to be confused with the grass area in the middle of the loop road).
Tidy area with recycle and rubbish bins, drinking water supply, dump station and clean toilets. There were about 15 vehicles when we stayed and there was plenty of room. Not really suitable for bigger RVs (we saw these parked in the grass area in middle of loop road - not sure if that was legit as signs indicated it wasn't).
Be prepared for noise from port activity from about 7am.
Just a very short walk to Caroline Bay beach and penguin viewing from the breakwater rocks at night (need to wait until well after dark before they start surfing in and best when seas are calm).
Would be happy to stay here again.
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5.0/5
Quiet spot overlooking the bay.
Has a dumpstation and tidy toilets. Is within walking distance of town.
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3.0/5
Decent spot with reasonable toilets.
But expect a parking lot, not nature. Plenty of space but only few spots available for overnight camping.
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4.0/5
Good free place for a self contained camper.
Reasonable toilets and dump point nearby too. The actual free camping area was a bit small (and full) for our 6 berth RV so we set up in the adjacent car park with some other bigger RVs. Not sure if this was allowed but no one said anything. Penguins nearby were a hit with the kids. Good playground but a bit of a walk to get there. Bit of noise from the port but didn’t worry us.
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5.0/5
If I could I would give 11 of 10 stars for this spot.
It is very close to the beautiful beach of Caroline Bay and also in a walkable distance to the nice little town centre of Timaru. Moreover there a good and clean facilities, rubbish bins, drinking water, changing rooms and even showers. One of the two showers is almost a private shower - if you have a friend who can stand in the little gap between the cover walls you can have a shower without being observed. The best about this spot is that it is not far from the penguin colony. At sunset or sunrise you can observe the little penguins coming from or walking to the water. It is magic!
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3.5/5
Good location, very close to beach and also a nice wander to a good children’s play ground and paddling pool.
Good self contained options for a night, especially when the weather is good.
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5.0/5
This is a popular free camp.
It has great facilities with a dump point and toilet block. A very short walk takes you straight to the bay where you can view the penguin colony for free.The penguins were very close and you got a great view of them. The port is very close but we didn’t find the noise to be a problem.
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2.5/5
Noisey as across from the shipping container port.
Lovely place to park, great views of bay. Toilets flush and clean but not waterproof will get wet if raining. Good access to dump station with fresh drinking water available separate to water to use to clean waste.
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4.5/5
Dump station and waste management is great.
Only one toilet and sink. No shower. Perfect for self-contained motorhomes.
Nice park. I liked staying there for the night.
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5.0/5
This is a great location with proper parking lot.
It feels more like a holiday park with toilet amenities, dumping facilities and fresh water refill available for our motorhome.
