Whatipu Lodge Campground
Reviews
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Niven
Ranking: 8/10
We loved it, feels like your in Jurassic park. Drop toilets and rain water showers. All clean and pleasant as they can be. Right next to a beach, cool to explore.
Mozzie are on a different level, don’t go outside past 7pm.
Irene
Ranking: 7/10
Great camp site. Well tended, loads of space. Everyone else mentioned the amenities, but I want to warn larger campers. Approach has about 7ks of gravel road with quite a lot of vegetation overhanging the narrow winding road which scratched our van and windows quite badly. Fabulous for tents and small campers.
Backpack On Fire
Ranking: 10/10
Tons of space, so you can arrive a bit later. Beautiful black sand beach to walk to as well as the sea caves to explore. Be sure to stay long enough to check them both out. The black sand is much darker than in Piha. Composting toilets and cold showers with curtains for privacy. Worth the little extra money to stay here instead of in a car park.
Emily
Ranking: 10/10
10 dollars per night, big camping ground nice, organic toalets and a shower. Walk to the beach and the drive down is worth it! Good value for money!
Andy and Julia
Ranking: 9/10
A massive thanks to Pete and his wife for the help and the beautiful campsite. The campground is after a 5km gravel road, which gave us a small puncture along the way. But Pete, our saviour, came along with a jack and wheel brace to help us change our wheel. $15 for 2 people was quite reasonable. Drop toilets, cold showers and small kitchen. So basic amenities. A short walk away from a beautiful black sand beach, perfect for a stroll. Amazing owners, would give them 10/10 if it wasn’t for the gravel road. Thanks again!
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Rob.Canada
Ranking: 10/10
Unbelievable place!! Amazing location, gorgeous views and very very reasonable price. 10/10 wow this place rocks.
Their staff are super nice and friendly as well.
Giulia
Ranking: 10/10
A real sweet spot. There's plenty to do at a walking distance with caves and beaches. It's at the end of a gravel road. I give a 10 for the facilities offered in relation to the price, $15 for two people for one night. A shower, a decent compost toilet and a small kitchen shed with a counter, a sink and a table. Finally a campsite where you pay for what you get - and the location is magical.
Kathy Maslin
Ranking: 8/10
First night in NZ and first freedom camping. Very scenic, 5 min walk to beach . Basic ammenities but ok. Very quiet.
Toby Danilo
Ranking: 10/10
Fun drive in. Plenty to do around the area - caves, beaches and spectacular lookouts. Clean drop toilets. Cold shower. Lots of space. Very friendly owner comes around in the morning to collect payment. $15 two adults unpowered campervan.
Darren Gordon
Ranking: 7/10
Close to the city and plenty to do in the area. Stayed with my partner and 2 kids for less than $20 and the kids loved it. Short 10-20min walks to caves and to the beach for fishing. Dangerous water though, not great for swimming. 3 clean toilets and a cold shower available. Camp can get a bit muddy in wet seasons and our van got a lil stuck, but owner is very accommodating and helpful, even helped push us out.
Mikayla Dimitiri
Ranking: 8/10
Beautiful drive out to this quiet spot on the beach with great walks around the campsite. Friendly management, unpowered site $7.50 per person, no kitchen facilities but cold shower and drop toilets in relatively good condition.
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Virginie Polguere
Ranking: 8/10
Good place to be! Next to the beach, $7.50 per adult. Toilets clean in the morning, one shower (cold), water must be boiled. The host was very kind, and saw us late in the afternoon. Good memories with my husband!
Andrew Watts
Ranking: 8/10
Cool location totally in the wild. Nice owner and a great price, $15 per vehicle. Stayed two nights. Did walks to caves and fishing off nearby beach area, ask owner for information. Basic drop toilets and cold shower, bearable for me on a cloudy day. Remote location stay two nights if you make the trip. :-)
J Bennett
Ranking: 9/10
Great little spot to start coming from Auckland. $7.50 per person, per night. Cold showers and running water. 5 minutes walk to the beach. Friendly staff.
Kim Frey
Ranking: 8/10
Very nice spot. We spent three nights here. Lots to do in area. Long and short walks right from the camp. The beach is a 5 min walk from camp. Great fishing spots around the rocks. Didn't catch anything though. Caves to explore nearby too. 15 for two people was really good. For how close to Auckland it is you don't feel like you're that close, the airplanes flying over remind you. Toilets were cleaned daily and there are cold showers. Only down side is there isn't much for shade to park under. It got pretty hot in our van by 8am. Overall worth the drive out here, but it was longer and slow going once you hit the gravel. Stay at least two nights if you're gonna make the trip out.
Florent Bouillon
Ranking: 8/10
Very friendly owner. It was the first time when we ate New Zealand mussels. The beach is nice.
Rik
Ranking: 8/10
Great spot only 35ish K´s from Auckland, very large field to camp in and very cheap too, $15/car up to 4 ppl. Heaps of walks, tramps and caves to see.
No kitchen facilities only cold showers and quite far walk to the beach trough the dunes (about 1 km I guess) and superfriendly management, very recommended.