Dave Horry
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Whites Bay Campsite
This is a wonderful place.
It's a DOC 'Standard' site, so it $6pp, unpowered without hot showers. The facilities are good, modern and clean. It's a large campsite spread out in the bush in a valley with its own beautiful Sandy beach at it mouth. It is surrounded by bush so the only sounds there are the waves and the birds. Wonderful! It would make an excellent first stop after crossing on the ferry (just be aware though that the gates are locked each night at 9:00). If driving, then don't use the Picton to Port Underwood road unless you have plenty of time and are happy on steep, narrow and rough roads. I went for a day end ended up there for 2 weeks. It's much, much better than the next closest option of Rarangi.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Golden Bay Holiday Park
Of all the campsites in Golden Bay, this was my favourite.
Normally I cringe when I see “Holiday Park”, as I prefer quieter places, but this one was a quiet place.
Everything I needed was there, it all worked fine, and the people were helpful and friendly. But the best thing was the location. No traffic, no streetlights, no noise except the birds and the waves, and views out across the whole Bay, from Cape Farewell to Separation Point.
It’s easy to get in and out of, and right on the beach.
There are good shelter belts for bad weather if you need that.
It’s a big site, and in summer I’m sure it’s full of holidaying families, but when I was there in September it was quiet. I had a beachside spot, with a sea view on a powered site (sunrise is from the sea).
I had a fire on the beach under the moonlight, and saw seals and dolphins. Excellent.
Video here: http://goo.gl/1HNO6j
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Orewa Beach Holiday Park
I stayed here mid winter.
I thought it might be noisy, being a big site right next to the main road, but it was very quiet. I had an ocean view through my window and the only noise I heard at night was the waves. 30 paces to the beach.
Showers are hot, included in the site fee, and on tap, not time.
Everything was clean and tidy, and everyone was very helpful. I will come back here as it's en-route north-south and perfect for stopping just before or after Auckland.
$18 on a powered site, one person in winter.
I would expect this place to be completely different during the summer school holidsays, and not somewhere that I would want to be those weeks. But that's just me, others will still think it's wonderful.