This campsite was quite an odd experience.

The shower situation, in particular, is a major disappointment and feels like a scam. There’s only one shower available for up to 300 people, and it comes with a frustrating catch: you’re only allowed to use it for two minutes. To make matters worse, you have to leave the shower area and run around the toilet block to insert a $1 coin to activate the water. By the time you manage to get back to the shower, about 30 seconds have already passed, as the water starts flowing immediately upon inserting the coin. This leaves you with barely any time to properly shower.

Important to note: If you’re using a Department of Conservation (DOC) Campsite Pass and opt for a self-contained site, they won’t allow you to use the toilets or the shower unless you pay an additional fee. Even if you don’t intend to use their trash facilities, they still charge you for waste disposal, which feels unreasonable and unfair.

On the positive side, the beach access is decent. However, the campsites themselves lack any semblance of privacy. The sites are crammed together on a bare patch of earthy and grassy field, which doesn’t provide any sense of seclusion or personal space.

When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by the camp host, who, in fairness, was very friendly. However, the host frequently patrols the campsite, which adds to the lack of privacy, as you constantly feel observed. This, combined with the tightly packed sites, made it difficult to relax and enjoy our stay.

Given all these issues, we’re genuinely baffled by the positive reviews this campsite has received. We strongly advise against staying here and certainly wouldn’t recommend it to others.

Reviewed over 1 year ago