Profile
arnaud paquet
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Twelve Mile Delta Campsite
We stayed there for 2 weeks and it's the best place to stay in Queenstown.
Cheap (6$), huge campground, basic facilities, along the lake Wakatipu with wonderful landscapes! But it's a bit far from the town (10km) and the last days were very crowded.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Omarama ▷
Ahuriri Bridge Campsite
The best thing is the price : it's free!
Heaps of space, with the river next to the camp but just one (dirty and smelly) toilet and quite hard to set up the tent because of the ground. Certainly more suitable for campervans.
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Oamaru ▷
Glencoe Campsite
Nice spot, well-maintained with basic toilets and tap water.
Just 6$ but just what you need for the night :)
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Beach Road Holiday Park
Lots of rain when staying there but managed to find a dry place to set up the tent.
Clean kitchen and bathroom, everything perfect. And just 32$ for two people, unpowered site.
Hello, thank you for your positive experience. We are pleased you enjoyed your stay. Pity about the rain. Hope you got to enjoy some of the walking tracks in the area and the birdlife.
Gerry
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Clifden Historic Bridge Conservation Campsite
Just a stop for the night on the road between the Fiordland and the Catlins.
Free, basic toilets, tap water, Small grassy area for tente and next to the bridge.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Owaka ▷
Purakaunui Bay Campsite
First night in the Catlins.
Just 6$ each but basic facilities. Quite a long gravel road but nice beach, very beautiful :)
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Mavora Lakes Campsite
Quite a long gravel road to reach it (37km) but worth it!
Great sceneries with the lakes, mountains and the filming locations of Lotr. Just 6$ each but toilets could be better.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Hokitika ▷
Hokitika Holiday Park
Unexpected stop for us, as we broke a shock absorber and had to stay there 2 nights, waiting for the garage to open on monday (by the way, cheap one ;)).
13 or 14$ each for unpowered site, with clean bathroom, free showers and a nice kitchen.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Albert Town Camping Ground
7$ each, just next to Wanaka but no facilities, except toilets and tap water.
But quite a big place, along the river.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Murchison ▷
Lyell Campsite
Nice location, lots of space, basic facilities, tap water and cooking shelter.
But heaps of sandflies and long grass. Just one night, no longer.
6$ each.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Luggate Cricket Club Camping Ground
Very cheap for what you get!
5$ each, toilet, shower, dishes sink, tap water. Small place but close to Wanaka. Unfortunately, the owner was very weird, as if every camper was about to destroy his campground. Once, he watched us with binoculars from the other side of the campground and I also saw him walking with a gun between the sites. A bit scaring sometimes...
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Haast ▷
Lake Paringa Campsite
Cheap, 6$ but very crowded as it's the last cheap campground before heading to Mount Aspiring and the road is closed during the night (from 6pm), just a few km after Haast.
So everyone coming late stops there.
And the place is full of sandflies as well, so you'd better stay in one of the DOC campsites along the road to Haast Pass but be early :)
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Collins Memorial Reserve
Free and no need to be self-contained because toilets are available.
Well-maintained, with rubbish bin and picnic tables. Forbidden for tents but the parking can welcome a maximum of 20 vehicles. The best way to visit Blenheim or taking the ferry in the morning :)
The only bad point is that it's next to the main road, sometimes noisy.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Hutt Valley ▷
Belmont Regional Park
Nice place to stay for one night, before heading south to Wellington.
But the place where we stayed is not situated as the same place indicated on the map, as said by the previous reviewer. It's on Hebden Cres, at the crossing with Haywards Hill Rd.
Moreover, the place is free and you don't need to call the ranger to get his agreement for the night, just wait for him when he comes to close the gates. He will just ask if you intend to stay for the night and that's it :) the gates will be open early in the morning anyway. The only bad point is that the toilets are located 400m away from there, along the little river.
And for those wanting to see the filming locations of the LOTR, you will be just next to Minas Tirith and Helm's Deep, which were filmed in the Belmont quarry.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Hamurana ▷
Trout Pools Reserve
Just for cars and campervans, no tents as there is no grass, it's just a parking with dirty portaloo facilities but you don't have to pay for it anymore, it's free!
And even if it's a bit dirty, small and noisy in the morning (because it's situated at the end of the rafting trip, so lots of people), it certainly is one of the only locations around Rotorua where you can stay for free ;)
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Mangawhai ▷
Port Albert Recreation Reserve
Just toilets and that's it.
It's free, so can't complain about it, but the place is a bit glaucous when it's night and raining, because I think that it's not a common place to spend the night
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Ngawi ▷
Putangirua Pinnacles Campsite
6$ each for basic toilets, picnic tables, lots of space and tap water.
Ideal for a trip to the pinnacles or to Cape Palliser.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Ohakune ▷
Mangawhero Campsite
Nice spot, on the road to Ruapehu.
Just 6$ for toilets, tap water and a very clean place. Not big, just suitable for a maximum of 15 cars/tents so be early!
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Raetea North Side Campsite
The only good point is the price : it's free!
But toilets are very basic and worst of all, heaps of sandflies... So be really careful if you stay there, you will definitely need a strong repulsive and long clothes
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Miranda ▷
Kaiaua Boat Club Reserve
Hypse of rain when beeing there so can't be very objective but the place was glaucous, along the road.
Just a kind of parking at the entrance of the village, with toilets.
Free location :)
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Nelson ▷
Maitai Valley Motor Camp
Prices higher when Christmas period (10$ instead of 8), caretaker who's quite rude, 2$/shower and just allowed to use the kitchen once during your stay, so either the evening or the morning...
Never seen it before!
But still one of the cheapest in Nelson area, and well-maintained.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Hipapatua / Reid's Farm Recreation Reserve Free Campsite
Where everybody goes, because it's free and well-known so hypse of people :) but lots of space so it's not a problem.
Just along the river with basic facilities which could be a bit cleaner.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Waihi ▷
Dickey Flat Campsite
Just 9 because of the sandflies and the toilets but it's still a nice place, along the river and the campground is at the beginning of nice easy walk to Karangahake Gorge.
But not a lot of place and it' quite popular so be early :)
Just 6$ each, which is really cheap.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Tapotupotu Campsite
Amazing location, 5km away from cape Reinga, with a beautiful track leading to it.
For just 6$ each, you have a cold shower and a very nice spot along the beach. Heaps of place and just 3km of gravel to reach it.
Not to be missed!
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Featherston ▷
Bucks Road Campsite
Free spot, a few km away from the main road (3km of gravel road), with basic toilets.
Not a lot of space but there is an access to the river, which makes a kind of pool. Just for one night, no need to stay there anymore.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Robin Hood Bay Campsite
Bad gravel road, which may be dangerous if it's raining cause it turns to mud, and that for 25km.
Moreover, sceneries were not those expected, so quite a loss of time (for me).
About the camping itself, it's quite small, with long grass, basic toilets and heaps of sandflies. Not the one I would recommend.
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Hawera ▷
Ohawe Beach Camp
20$ for 2 people but hot shower, clean toilets, kitchen and hypse of space, just next to the sea.
Just walk up the road and you will get amazing views of Taranaki, if not cloudy.
And a nice woman taking care of this place.
After a few days without a real shower, I really enjoyed it!
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Hutt Valley ▷
Kaitoke Regional Park Camping Ground
6$ each but hypse of space, trees (for shade), next to the river, with good toilets, no showers but huge picnic shelter with sinks, tables and free barbecues!
The place to go if you want to explore Rivendell ;)
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Masterton ▷
Eketahuna Motor Camp
As the caretaker told me when arriving : "This is the best campgroung in NZ".
And I agree, definitely!
For just 5$ each for unpowered site, you get a well-cared place with a kitchen, hot showers, clean toilets, free laundry (the only one which allows you to do it), trees for those needing shade and we even got free eggs in the morning! Recommended!
Unfortunately, amazing sceneries were missing but campgroung itself is the best we've stayed during our 3 months' trip.
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North Island ▷ Manawatu - Wanganui ▷ Whanganui ▷
Turakina Beach Camp / Koitiata Camping Ground
4$ for the unpowered site and 2$ per person, so very cheap for what you get : hot shower, clean toilets, tap water, cooking shelter, picnic tables.
Small but nice, a few minutes away from the sea.
Just a 8 because the water from the shower smelt iron and that smell follows you for a couple of days afterwards.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Shag Stream Campsite
One word : disappointing!
Don't go there, unless you want to pay 10$ for a place with 20cm grass, hypse of sandflies and smelling toilets! We stayed in many free campgrounds which were much better than this...
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Tauranga ▷
McLaren Falls Camping Area
Such a nice spot!
We stayed there for two nights and it was so good. Just 5$ each, and you have clean toilets, showers, a lake, barbecues and many places to go in the park. And just next to the waterfalls, which are awesome!
No sandflies, which is definitely a pro!
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei ▷
Otamure Bay (Whananaki) Campsite
First night of our campervan trip and a good one!
Large spot, plenty of space, just next to the beach, cold showers. 10$ each + rubbish bag (1$ each).
But you have to drive for 1/2h on a "no exit" way to reach it.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kerikeri ▷
Forest Pools
Good location, especially because it's free!
2-3km of gravel road to reach it, toilets situated between the campgroung and the river, along the path.
But, beware of the sandflies : first meeting with them, and my ankles still reminded it for at least 3 weeks!
But beautiful location, that's the most important
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Putaruru ▷
Little Waipa Reserve
Basic campground with just toilets but lots of space, next to the lake and very quiet location, close to Hobbiton (30min drive).
And best of all, it's free :)
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Mangahuia Campsite
The best choice for those wanting to walk the Tongariro Crossing because it's just 20min away from there.
6$ each, very cheap with basic toilets, water, lots of space (but campervans and tent sites are split into two different areas), a cooking shelter and access to a small (and cold) river. Lots of shade as well, due to the trees.