Papatowai Campsite
Catlins coastal area
Reviews
Ali
Ranking: 5/10
Not the place to go for a quiet New Years. Packed in like sardines, very unpleasant for a solo female traveler. Heaps of out of control uni students. Fireworks going off right next to my camper for two hours. Obviously a free for all, do as you like site. If everyone had paid, DOC would have done well but I find it hard to believe they allow fireworks at their sites.
Beautiful surroundings and beach.
Dr.A
Ranking: 10/10
This is a fantastic basic campsite with flushing loos and a kitchen area plus shelter for BYO BBQ. All were cleaned daily by friendly DOC staff. We had a flat site with trees surrounding that gave some privacy and shelter from the wind. There is no potable water so come prepared. Payment options include online or cash onsite at the registration booth.
Don't come thinking you can buy supplies as it's not currently open and the owner indicated she isn't planning on reopening it in the immediate future. However, you can by fuel using card facility.
Highly recommend a visit to the lost gypsy and coffee cart which are a short walk away as well as the estuary and beach/forest walks.
Monkeyalan
Ranking: 8/10
Great stop off on way through Catlin's. The campsite has good amenities for a DOC site (proper flushing toilets etc) including a kitchen space and a few benches around the grounds. The local village has a few stores and cafe which are normally open during peak periods.
Tea
Ranking: 10/10
Nice and quiet site, out the way. Was there at start of season, with a few people just arriving to settle for a few days, but with the space available everyone was very spread out. Good basic facilities, toilets and indoor seating area.
Nice beach to walk along, with track directly down from campsite. Had fun wandering through village spotting all the home made postboxes.
Ben and Liv
Ranking: 9/10
Lovely, green grassy spot. Plenty of spaces but some sloping sites - finding a flat spot would be difficult in busy periods. We were there in shoulder season so it was only us and about 3 others! Facilities pretty old but clean. General store and fuel at entrance and short walks to beach nearby.
Only $8 per person - can’t complain!
JT
Ranking: 10/10
one of the best doc sites we have eher seen. lot of space and really good facilities. a cooking shelter ja available. 8$ per person is ok and much better than the scenic docs without everything
Kim Erny
Ranking: 10/10
Reasonably priced campsite, $8 per person, plenty of flush toilets, you can disregard the previous comment about being pit toilets. Running water with nice roomy washing up facilities. Nice, green, grassy spots. Not too many lights.
Grizzly Girl
Ranking: 10/10
Great site with epic beaches views and the best smelling drop toilet I might have ever encountered. Only downside were all the people who showed up late with their blinding headlights and then left without paying. Shame on them. If you want to enjoy a nice beach with nice toilets please pay the measly $8.
Mike
Ranking: 10/10
Great clean doc site just off of the main road behind the shop
Paul Cooper
Ranking: 10/10
Beautiful campsite with walking access to the beach at during low tide, good fishing out off the rocks at the southern end off the beach, running water an flushing toilets, kitchen with benches, tables an chairs inside on out, camp site is well sheltered for tents. and it's pet friendly which is great.handy little shop out the front on road which also has petrol an diesel on pumps 24/7 bank card access been here many times and plan to stay again.
Luiz Gustavo Damasceno Ribeiro
Ranking: 8/10
Good - easy to find , a lot room, the camp provides a kitchen area and good toilets. It is conveniently located next to a general store.
Bad - I didn't have signal in my phone. Plenty of campsites even late in the day.
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Lizzie V
Ranking: 8/10
Nice spot for camping, $10 a night for me and my tent. There is some nice bush and soft grass to find a pleasant spot to camp in. The facilities are basic, but clean.
Samantha Brewin
Ranking: 8/10
Lovely open grassey campground surrounded by Forrest, with clean toilet facilities. Bring cash to leave your DOC campground fees in the box at the entrance to park. Approx. $8 per person per night.
Nathan Lal
Ranking: 7/10
Perfect place for one or two nights. The sites can be a little boggy after rain, has a camp style kitchen connected to toilet block. Easy to find as it is in front of a shop/petrol station.
Kyla Ashmore
Ranking: 9/10
Nice sheltered DOC site with an enclosed kitchen and flushing toilets and plenty of benches. More than I was expecting. $8 per adult.
Carol Brislane
Ranking: 8/10
Big open campsite on the grass. Bit wet underfoot when raining. Good facilities. Easy walk down to estuary and beach. Sandflies a little troublesome...
Hester
Ranking: 7/10
Good doc campsite, lot of space. Flushing toilets, kitchen area with basics. No views from the campsite, but you can walk to the beach. The Lost Gipsy Gallery is just across the road and definately worth while visiting!
Lenka Pruherova
Ranking: 9/10
Large grassy area, very friendly people in the camp, flashing toilet with a kitchen area and picnic tables! Would definitely go back.
Kathy Hart
Ranking: 9/10
May 2016 - Very nice area, close to estuary & walks. Clean flushing toilets. Quiet when we were there in May 2016 in our motorhome. Some of the grassy plots could get a tad boggy though when wet. However, we found nice level, protected gravel plot right beside where you pay your camp fee, near the entrance.
Goldfinger
Ranking: 7/10
DOC site $6 pp. For that you get a toilet and camp kitchen with only sinks. Nice sheltered wet grass sites. Catlins not worth the drive except for a few nice walks and the petrified forest at Curio Bay. Interesting museum just before Curio Bay.
Corina Sima
Ranking: 7/10
Good grassy area, but no view. There are trees and you can choose your desired level of sun/shade and privacy. The toilets are clean, there aren't any showers, and there is tap water. No soap, but they do have toilet paper. The kitchen has sinks, tables, chairs. You need your own gas cooker. $6 per person per night.
Lena Wesselink
Ranking: 8/10
This campsite has a bathroom with flush toilets and a 'kitchen' with taps, which is nice! But no nice views and a lot of bugs!! It was very quiet, so we could sleep well.
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James Whitehead
Ranking: 8/10
Clean and tidy site, lots of room for a campervan when we stayed just before Christmas. Lovely estuary 2 minutes walk from the site. One of the best campsites we stayed at in 3 weeks because of space and peaceful environment.
Guillemette
Ranking: 8/10
A good campsite, with water from the tap and a kitchen. But there is no place to put the solar shower....... $6 per adult.
thibaut vernelle
Ranking: 8/10
Big but quiet place, with a room for cooking, rubbish bins, good place.
mcp hm
Ranking: 7/10
pretty nice for a doc site. flush toilets and a kitchen with running water, though you bring your own stove. i wouldnt come again, but only because we found the catlins quite underwhelming.
Thomas Chacko
Ranking: 8/10
Nice, large and well maintained DOC standard campsite, right in Papatowai. Toilets with water and kitchen facilities are available. Though site is straight from the main, road, no traffic disturbances are felt at night. No scenic views.
Beach is not very close, but accessible by walk in 20 min.
Overall a good functional campsite on the Catlins coast.
Karina Gratz
Ranking: 8/10
Not much shadow despite plenty of bushes. Just nothing special.
Anja S
Ranking: 7/10
$6 an adult, at a fresh water lake, perfect if you have not had a shower for long, but no tap water at that time.
Dave
Ranking: 8/10
Just off the main road behind the Shop and motels in Papatowai, a little hard to spot from the road. Nice big facilities block with sinks, cold running water and pads for gas stoves. Outside there are picnic tables and a sheltered seating area. Clean toilets. Site has a couple of camper pads, otherwise mostly grass. $6 a night for adults, $3 for kids aged 5-17.
Verena
Ranking: 7/10
Campground is located at a great place. There is a lot of space (DOC brochure says less sites than there could be) - really bad was no water at all out of the tap.
Loesje
Ranking: 9/10
Great big campsite, cheap (6$), nice facilities (kitchen-shelter and toilets), and a veeery short walk to the beach. Nice walking on the beach.
Campsite is easy to get to, as it is next to the main road, yey!
Fabian and Teresa
Ranking: 7/10
Even if it was just a standard campground for $6, the facilities were great, we had a kitchen room and nice toilet!
Maxime
Ranking: 9/10
Nice campground with shelter with facilities for only $6 each.