Ellen
Ranking: 6/10
Nice and close to town and toilets just down the road. Next to a busy road though. Not bad for a night with easy parking and backed up onto a little bit of grass and a fence.
Dave
Ranking: 7/10
Right next to the road but was reasonably quiet. Toilets about a 200m walk from the freedom parking area. Was ok for a night.
Backpack On Fire
Ranking: 9/10
Great spot in town with 24/7 flush toilets and filtered water tap. Use the one closest to the skate park as the water is better. Lots of spots but still fills up. Some larger campers take up two spots to put their awnings out so not all the spot can be used sadly and the council staff don’t stop them which is why we can’t give it a 10. Isite, grocery, library, downtown strip, spark wifi booth all within walking distance.
Fran
Ranking: 6/10
Might be a bit noisy coz it‘s right next to the main street but it‘s ok for a night. Toilets available just passed the playground open 24/7.
Jack
Ranking: 8/10
There ARE public toilets here: a 3 min walk north up the road, just past the playground 🚽
Martin Hansen
Ranking: 9/10
A lovely spot to spend your night.
Be there in good time as this is a popular place to stay. We arrived at 3.30 PM and there were only a few spots left
There are some really nice toilets a 2 minute walk down the road. One of them are open 24/7.There are plenty possibilities when it comes to shopping. The most important might be The Warehouse and Pak'n' Save. Also McDonald's has a restaurant located among the other stores if you don't feel like cooking in your camper van.
Enjoy your stay here.
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Nic
Ranking: 9/10
Right in the middle of Thames, so your within walking distance of several restaurants (KFC/Maccas), a PaknSave, and a Warehouse.
They have 24 hour toilets which are new and well kept.
There's also a spot to fill up clean drinking water beside the toilets.
There's also a boardwalk close by that goes along the coast and a playground by the bathrooms.
It is running parallel to the main street of Thames, but since it is a small town it's not all that loud at night.
Bella
Ranking: 9/10
Good Spot for a night. There ist a big Road which is a little loud, gut it was OK.
Nearby ist a Supermarket, Shopping street with Restaurants, a nice playground and toilettes. And its die free.
Geoff Walker
Ranking: 8/10
Good spot with a really good kids playground nearby and good toilets.
Pim Brackenie
Ranking: 7/10
We stayed here for the night to walk the pinnacles trail the next day. It is just a parking lot, but it is fine if you stay just one night. Playground for kids, clean toilets (no shower) and supermarket nearby. A piece of grass next to the parking area to sit outside. For a free spot, it was allright.
Graeme & Cheryl
Ranking: 7/10
Great stop over park, close to shopping centre and awesome Indian restaurant in Main Street. Amazingly quiet night for such a busy main road.
NicAd
Ranking: 7/10
Good spot in town (close to restaurants, Pack'n Save...) BUT come early! Some huge bus and campervans like to take 2 places just for us. They absolutely don't care about the rules and worst, the others! So...
Chantelle Hiley
Ranking: 7/10
Beware, if you do not have a self contained vehicle then you will get a $200 fine. Short walk into town and there is a nearby 24 hour toilet near the kids playground.
Goldfinger
Ranking: 8/10
Free overnight parking between signs facing Danby Field on western side. Clean but very busy toilets about 100 metres up the road near the children's playground. Take rubbish with you and keep this place tidy and clean. Reasonably close to a big shopping centre (about 400 metres). Surprisingly quite considering closeness to main road. Thanks to the local Thames Coromandel Council for providing us tourists with these facilities which hopefully generate some local business. Stayed 13 April 2016
Julia Clark
Ranking: 9/10
It's brilliant, a free place to park up overnight in this lovely friendly town. It is just a car park with no facilities, the bays where you are permitted to overnight are marked between two arrows. You must be self contained, leave nothing, and vacate by 9am. There is a block of public loos about 50m along the road (near the shopping centre and kids playground) . Most if them are locked at night but the disabled one is marked 24 hours and was open. This is a great initiative and we had a brilliant curry in the Cumin Indian restaurant. I hope that local businesses benefit from the motorhoming guests.
Boukje Diijkstra
Ranking: 7/10
Near to shops, free wifi at McDonalds and a very big play ground. Nice to stay for a functional overnight stay. The nearby road was quiet during the night and because not directly at the coast, the wind was very acceptable (compared to other freedom parking places). Thanks for this opportunity.
Heather Scoltock
Ranking: 7/10
Handy spot for starting the Hauraki Trail the next day. Toilets very clean and close by. Little noise from adjacent road. Just need to be away by 9 am.
Sonja
Ranking: 7/10
Nice and quiet although it is next to a street. It is not much traffic at night. Nearby there is a toilet at a playground.
ramy
Ranking: 9/10
Nice freedom camping area just a block off from main street and next to the highway. A sports field is behind the area. A short walk to toilet facilities and mall with grocery store. We were very pleased that the Thames-Coromendel Council provides this as we were able to shop and stock up on our camping needs. We wish more towns would provide this type of experience. Since we usually camped in basic and standard DOC campgrounds or areas for freedom camping, we were often at some distance from places where we could purchase supplies. Thank You Thames!!!
Heather Macdonald
Ranking: 6/10
Several spaces in a car park next to a sports field. Near shops and bars but the town was empty on a Monday night and everything closed early