Will and Taylor
-
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Hanmer Springs ▷
Alpine Holiday Apartments and Campground
A great little spot just a short drive from central Hanmer Springs.
They've got two trampolines, a playground, lots of grassy spots to park your van as well as two toilet/shower blocks. The kitchen is rather small but comes with crockery and cutlery. These guys have a sweet deal: if you book for more than two nights, you get free bike rentals! This includes the helmet and the lock. Really awesome as it's just a little bike ride into town and there's plenty of bike trails around the campground. You can also borrow badminton rackets and birdies to play as they've got a net set up.
The cabin we stayed in got quite cold at night but they have an electric heater in the rooms. Cutlery and crockery also included in here. Linen hire so bring your own if you can.
We found that this was the cheapest spot out of all the Hanmer Springs accommodation options. Feels a bit older but overall an enjoyable stay. We would stay here again.
-
South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Blairich Reserve
A nice secluded spot in the middle of nowhere!
A free alternative for staying along the way through Molesworth. One toilet here, otherwise it's basic. Some private spots away from the road with a river nearby to explore. No mosquitos or sandflies here....woohoo!
-
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Rangiora ▷
Delhaven Motels and Camping Ground
Man at the front desk wasn't very friendly, although he did offer us some milk for free...We stayed in a cabin here which had a bit of a dingy feel to it.
It was nice enough, just felt rather old and outdated. However, crockery and cutlery was included as was linen. They have a pool here however it is closed because of earthquake damage, not sure when it will reopen. Not close to the beach, but a fine place to stay on the way from Christchurch to Kaikoura.
-
North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Discovery Lodge Campground
Nice property.
Try and get a grassy spot otherwise you'll be stuck sleeping on gravel. Beautiful view of the volcanoes. Great that they offer shuttle transport to do Tongiraro. Clean. Good showers that you don't have to pay extra for. However, wouldn't want to stay here during the busy season...the kitchen is way too small for the size of the campground. The campground wasn't even half full when we stayed here and the kitchen was packed!
-
South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Picton isite Visitor Information Centre
Not much information available and the staff were not very friendly.
Rather disappointing to be honest.
-
North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ New Plymouth ▷
New Plymouth isite Visitor Information Centre
Supreme.
One of the best museums we've been to in all of NZ. The staff working in the I-Site were incredibly helpful and friendly with great advice for both paid and free activities as well as for camping. Cool interactive display that allows you to explore the activities and accommodation in the atrea yourself and print it off...for free! Library was right there, free wifi...I'd say the Puke Ariki I-Site is the best in all of New Zealand.
-
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Arthur's Pass ▷
Klondyke Corner Campsite
Stinky porta-potty.
Beautiful alpine place to camp. It goes quite a ways back so you don't need to park right by the highway. Just a short drive out of the village. Many walks around. The train runs by on the other side of the campground which is cool to see. Simple. A great little gem.
-
North Island ▷ Manawatu - Wanganui ▷ Whanganui ▷
Turakina Beach Camp / Koitiata Camping Ground
$8 for two people for a non-powered site - great deal.
Sealed road all the way from the highway. Friendly owners who came around in the morning and get you to sign their guestbook. A short walk to the beach. No stores around so stock up before heading here.
Toilets, coin-operated laundry and showers are included. The shower is a bit funky, but loads of hot water. Drinking water is available but shower water is non-potable, most likely iron which had a slight smell to it.
Feels a bit like you're camping out in someone's backyard...has a sort of homey-type feel to it.
-
North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Mt Taranaki ▷
Stratford Plateau Carparks
Gravel parking lot with washrooms at the end of the road.
Amaaaazing views back to Mt. Ruapehu and of the stars at night. Due to altitude gets chilly and windy at night so be prepared!
-
North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Waikanae ▷
Waikanae River Mouth
Friendly locals around.
Beautiful views of Kapiti Island and even South Island in the distance. The singing toilet is entertaining. Excellent spot to walk along the beach. However, not very private.
-
North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Wellington isite Visitor Information Centre
Really well-organized.
Good maps and information. Gets very busy. We had a couple misleading things told to us, but otherwise great suggestions offered by friendly staff.
-
South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Double Bay
Great secluded little spot.
Less than an hour's drive from Picton so a good spot to spend your first/last night in South Island. Right on the water, clean toilet, picnic tables, a sealed road leading all the way up to it, open grassy space as well as shaded, tree-protected spots. And it's free! Awesome.
Make sure you bring your own water.
-
North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Turangi ▷
Tokaanu Tailrace
Located just south of Lake Taupo.
Neither of the two toilets were working and both were overflowing with gunk...gross. Maybe this is why this camp spot is "self contained"?!
Otherwise, decent free spot. It's basically a big parking lot right on a boat launch but we found a spot on some grass. Black swans about! Good place to rest up before you head over to conquer Tongiraro.
-
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Christchurch ▷
Chamberlains Ford Recreation Reserve
Right by the loud busy highway, really smelly toilets, quite a long drive out of Christchurch.
River was dried up so no swimming. Free, which was nice. Otherwise, probably wouldn't stay here again.
-
South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Waitapu River Bridge
Mostly gravel, but there are some grassy spots.
A good base to go explore Farewell Spit and Pupu Springs. Right under a busy bridge and near the river. One toilet but well-maintained. Just a short drive from Takaka. Decent spot. Great that it's free.
-
North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Oakura ▷
Oakura Beach Holiday Park
A bit more pricey than we typically would like (it was $18pp for a non-powered site)...but it was definitely, 100% worth it!
The owners are sweet as. So friendly, easy-going and accommodating. The kitchen is spotless and a good size with plenty of counter space. Lots of tables around to eat, music playing in the showers...it's a good atmosphere. Showers cost $0.50 for every 5 minutes. The entire place was spotless. When the campsite is busy, they clean the facilities twice a day!
Right on a beautiful beach, grassy areas, a trampoline...wonderful.
-
South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Hokitika ▷
Goldsborough Campsite
Small campground next to a semi-busy road.
New washroom block being built. Drinking water available. A friendly ranger who comes by in the mornings to collect fees. Many short walks to choose from. Lots of frisky wekas around!!
-
North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Mangahuia Campsite
Needs to be updated...not $4 a night, actually $6 per person per night.
Campground fills up fast so get in early. Spots are really close together but there's shrubbery surrounding the spots for privacy. Water and toilets available with a stream nearby. Good alternative camping spot to explore National Park Village.
-
North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Raglan ▷
Solscape Eco Retreat
Really funky, fun place to stay.
Lots of accommodation options with fair prices. The tipis were really cool. The camping spots are right up on a hill that has an amazing view of the ocean. Beautiful sunsets are to be seen here. Just a short drive from Raglan town centre.
Has a hostel-feel to it. Lots of friendly people around to chat with. Two kitchens - one which is quite small. The area where the tents and campervans are is a bit squished together.
Offers surf lessons and rentals on site.
Interesting place to stay with cool ideas about minimizing one’s ecological footprint. Hip/hippie place to stay. We really liked it but others might not be so keen.
-
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Orewa ▷
Gulf Harbour
Awesome free campsite on the boat launch of a busy marina.
You’re allowed to park on the grass to get away from the parking lot. The view back to Auckland is spectacular, and the location is close to the ferry if you want to skip the traffic. Public toilets to use.
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei ▷
Uretiti Beach Campsite
Just off the motorway so the campsite can be rather noisy, due to traffic.
Probably the best maintained DOC site we’ve been to with several rangers living on-site who were very friendly. Short drive to the extremely cool Waipu caves. Right on a beautiful beach. Nude beach around so look out for the sights :)
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Mangawhai ▷
Te Arai Point
Free camping right on the beach access to Te Arai.
Long drive down rough gravel road but well worth it to have a huge beach almost all to yourself. Public washrooms.
For a free site it is well maintained.
-
North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Raglan ▷
Te Kopua Whanau Camping Ground
Large field to park/tent in.
Cold showers. Clean toilets. Drinking water available. Just a short walk to the beach. Good location for just $5 a person.
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Kapowairua Campsite
Brilliant.
Probably our favourite campsite. Secluded, down long dusty gravel road, but well worth it. Well maintained, newer DOC facilities The nicest beach we’ve visited in New Zealand. Really good value for your money. Highly recommended!
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Maitai Bay Campsite
Nice one, DOC!
Beautiful beaches. Lots of space for camping, although rather busy in the summer. Cold showers and lots of toilets. Short drive down a gravel road to get there. Bathrooms were rather smelly...
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Tapotupotu Campsite
Really close to the lighthouse.
Short journey down steep gravel road to campsite. Lots of walks and tramps to do in the area, including a mangrove boardwalk. Was quite busy in the summer.
Beautiful beach and adjoining stream perfect for swimming, surfing and boogie boarding. Lovely. Well done, DOC!
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Te Kohanga Camping Ground
Campground right on a beautiful beach.
Location is awesome. Friendly campground owners. Lots of space. Facilities are quite rustic, including an outdoor cold shower and compost toilets. Make sure to bring your own toilet paper, and it’s cash only!
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Tutukaka ▷
Tutukaka Holiday Park
Rather pricey to stay the night (we paid $17 per person per night) plus $.50 for every 7 minutes of hot water.
Parking lot style campground leaves little privacy. No internet. On the bright side...the kitchen is really beautiful. Big and spacious with large windows. Location is ideal as it’s just a short walk from the marina where scuba and snorkel trips leave from to explore Poor Knight’s Island.
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Hokianga ▷
Rawene Holiday Park
If you plan to camp here, head’s up: you’ll basically be sleeping in a gravel parking lot.
Besides that, it’s a pretty quiet spot. Nice to be able to jump in the pool. Amazing view and sunsets. Hot showers, very clean. Good kitchen facilities. Great location to catch the ferry.
Check out the Boathouse Cafe in town. Delicious!
-
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Helensville ▷
Parakai Springs Aquatic Park & Motor Camp
If you stay at the camp ground you get half price off admission to the Water Park.
Don’t think we would’ve paid full price to go, but the discount made it worthwhile.
Campground itself is quite large. Many permanent trailer homes on the grounds, but also plenty of room elsewhere to camp under the shade of large trees. Sort of feels a bit dingy but overall not bad. Playground for kids as well as a few toilets around the whole campsite.
-
North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Hamurana ▷
Trout Pools Reserve
A small parking lot at the end of the road to Okere Falls.
Only a porta-potty for facilities (which clearly hadn't been cleaned in a while). Gets busy in the morning with kayakers heading out on the river.
Right on the edge of Trout Pools and with locals around swimming and fishing. Very beautiful area with waterfalls close by. A short drive (about 20 minutes) from Rotorua.
Expensive at $8 per person for just a parking lot.
-
North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Hipapatua / Reid's Farm Recreation Reserve Free Campsite
Excellent free campsite on the edge of the Waikato river.
Easy walk to Huka Falls and on a hot day you can float down or simply jump in the river on the rope swing. Just a short drive to Taupo town centre.
Toilets are the only facilities and were very stinky during our stay. Campground was rather busy in late January but there is lots of room if you are willing to stay farther away from the river. Due to so many people it can be loud at night.
Overall, great place to stay.
-
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Miranda ▷
Kaiaua Boat Club Reserve
Great *free* place to stay for vehicles - especially if you're not self-contained.
Close to a delicious fish and chips shop and a short drive from the Miranda Bird Sanctuary. Nice site right on the ocean. There wasn't a big sign, so keep your eyes out for it.
Limited facilities (just toilets) but they were clean. Plenty of space to park your vehicle, and there were trees and picnic tables around the site. Not too busy.
Thanks Boat Club!
-
North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Whangaiterenga Campsite
Stayed at Whangaiterenga campsite and it was excellent.
A bit of an adventure getting there up a windy gravel road. Basic toilet facilities and close to the stream that you can swim in. Plenty of walks nearby.
Secluded. Lots of mosquitos so make sure to bring bug spray. Picnic tables and BBQ's. Checked out the other campsites in the area and decided to stay here again for our second night as it has lots of trees/privacy (the others were quite open).
Honesty box system. Very good value for what you pay.
-
North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Ohope ▷
Ohope Christian Camp
Reasonable price, great value for what you pay for.
Big kitchen, lots of fridge space. Showers weren't timed nor do you have to pay extra for them. Nice rec room with a book swap, ping pong table, foosbal table and comfy couches.
Nice in that it was a site that was busy but didn't feel busy - plenty of space between you and your neighbours.
Beach is just across the street.
Must mention - there is a little pizzeria across the street that is amazing. So delicious. Grab a pizza (very reasonably priced!) and go eat it on the beach. Awesome way to spend an evening.
Great place to stay.
-
North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Hahei ▷
Hahei Beach Resort
Tent city.
Rather disappointing.
We paid $54 for two people per night for a non-powered campsite.
Facilities closed early. Tons of kids. Campsites were elbow-to-elbow...we felt like we were squished into Hahei Holiday "Resort" like sardines.
On the bright side - close to the beach, a good location to walk to Cathedral Cove, hot showers, decent kitchen facilities, and helpful staff.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Peak Season (December/January) at Hahei Holidays Resort, along with most other New Zealand camp grounds, is the busiest time of our year because it is Summer and School Holidays. Families get together with friends met from many years of Camping. A more preferable time for your visit may have been outside of Peak Season which is reflected in the rates, and capacity of the camp. We are sorry you were disappointed with your stay.
-
North Island ▷ Tairāwhiti Gisborne ▷ Opotiki ▷
Omahuru Campsite
A bit in the middle of nowhere...
Beautiful, breath-taking area close to a river and many walks. Plenty of picnic tables, good clean toilets and well-maintained fire pits. Doesn't seem like many people use this spot, so the privacy was nice.
The site is down a long, windy, gravel road which was quite tricky in spots. Very isolated (no phone service in case you run into trouble i.e. get a flat tire). No signs until you're at the campground.
Overall, a nice spot but tricky to get to.
-
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Dargaville ▷
Kai Iwi Lakes Campsite
Probably just a summer thing, but when we were there they had a campervan-cafe open that sells chips and drinks.
Definitely bring all the supplies that you need before heading up to this camp, it’s a rather long drive to get up here.
Lake was crystal clear and beach was white sand - amazing!!
Shame about the deforestation in the area, but overall it’s still a nice spot.
-
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Piha Domain Motor Camp
We had a bit of a ridiculous experience while we were there...long story short, the cleaning guy at the campground stole our iphone and "forgot" to tell the ladies at reception about it.
Fortunately, we were able to track down the phone and get it back (only after going through our entire van and the campground - including the dumpster). But the ladies at camp reception were amazing - super helpful and understanding in dealing with the situation.
Value for your money is great...it's rare to stay at a holiday park so close to the beach for such a good price. We paid $12 per person for one night. Didn't get to use the showers because they were low on water. However, they let us stay at the park for a discounted price and besides the showers we had full access to the camp facilities.
Decent kitchen, clean toilets. Perfect for Surfing.
-
North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Tarawera ▷
Boyes Beach Reserve
$8 per person, per night.
It didn't smell - yay!
Right on the lakefront, great view and awesome swim spot. Facilities include clean toilets, a BBQ, picnic tables and a playground for kids. Nice sandy beach.
Got rather busy in the evening, but plenty of space and flat areas to park your vehicle. Just try to get there earlier rather than later to ensure you get a spot during the busier seasons.
Overall, great place to stay for a reasonable price just outside Rotorua.
-
North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Tauranga ▷
Beach Grove Holiday Park
Very affordable for the area (we chose to stay here in Papamoa rather than right in Mount Maunganui) and short walk to Papamoa beach just across the road.
Clean basic kitchen and showers on a timer. Small amount of Wifi included with your stay.
Looks to be very few visitor spots as almost all of the Park is dominated by caravans that have not moved for many years. This combined with the unique characters we met gave it a feeling that you are intruders in the park.