Profile
Mike Howe
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Canaan Downs Campsite
Great remote site when the weather is good.
You’re in the mountains so it can be bleak!
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Takaka Public Dump Station
Very convenient and easy to access
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Pupu Hydro Walkway
This is one of my "go to" walks in Golden Bay.
The full loop track can take an hour or more. There's plenty of uphill to get the heart rate up. And a nice cruisey flat track along the water race right in the middle.
Native bush, birds and native crayfish in the water to watch out for.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Grove Scenic Reserve
Love this walk!
great on a hot sunny day as it’s nice and cool under the trees and amongst the limestone walls.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Wainui Falls Track
A must do walk in Golden Bay.
Even in the heat of Summer the river’s water is chill. Take your togs to fully enjoy one of the many swimming holes. Or jump in at the falls themselves.
After heavy rain the falls are impressive.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Abel Tasman ▷
Tōtaranui Campground
This is a nice big campsite.
And it can get busy in the holidays. If you want piece and quite in a remote location then you should avoid in Summer.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Hawkes Lookout Carpark
Nice remote sites with a short walk to a stunning lookout over the valley below.
The parking area isn’t big so you might have neighbours. Avoid the toilet if you can.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
W F Moss Scenic Reserve Picnic Area
Cold in winter 🥶 especially the water
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Canaan Downs Campsite
This site is off the beaten track.
The road is a bit on the rough side so the larger camper and don’t end up here. Quite nice really.
It’s also basically on top of a mountain (but tucked down a bit). So the weather can be a bit extreme.
Good space and nice walks. Enjoy! 🌞
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
SLO NZ
As a kiwi this map made be proud, it's beautiful and heartfelt.
A gem to be absorbed as you travel Aotearoa. There's a lot of depth here that can take a while to digest. In fact some of it didn't make much sense until we were out on the road, then we'd have an "Aha!" moment. Thanks go to Cy, Nick and Azza.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Waitapu River Bridge
Nice spot by a the beautiful Takaka River and not too far from Takaka township.
There is lots of space but it gets crowded anyway. This is because there is no other camping sites nearby (other than holiday parks - which are not everyone’s idea of “camping”).
If you like meeting a bunch of other “travellers” then you’ll love it 😎
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ St Arnaud ▷
Bellbird Walk
Great little walk in the rain.
Worth the time. But watch the signs as there is a network of tracks in this area and a wrong turn will lead to a longer walk than you may have expected.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Levin ▷
Kimberley Reserve, Levin
Nice open site with plenty of space.
Wasn’t crowded even on Easter weekend when families came and set up camp. Clean toilets and large rubbish bins.
There’s a small river here but it’s not a great example of clean green NZ. There are signs up warning about toxic algae and unfortunately the local hunters have used it to dispose of their headless boar carcasses. So yeah stay on the grassy field and enjoy the sunset in this peaceful setting.
It’s odd that the council expect people to get a permit in advance for this free site. We arrived on dark and without a permit. No warden was seen.
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North Island ▷ Manawatu - Wanganui ▷ Marton ▷
Vinegar Hill Reserve
Huge grassy area alongside a beautiful river.
Plenty space to find your own private campsite. We found a spot in the trees overlooking the river. No road noise unless you park near the bridge.
Clean toilets and cold showers.
Unfortunately some locals seem to use this space as a Saturday night haunt and they aren’t interested in cleaning up after their riverside fires and booze fests. We did our bit and picked up a couple of bags of cans and broken bottles once they had their fun.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Hop Federation Brewery
Friendly brewer was keen to chat while I tasted a few of the microbrew options.
Came away with a couple of delicious treats for further down the line. Thanks 😊
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Pupu Hydro Walkway
This is a choice half day/full day walk if you do the full circuit.
Really nice bush walk up to the water race (man made stream) and then you follow the race along the hillside (cliff really) until you reach the River. Good spot for lunch and a dip for the brave.
Watch out for the native fresh-water crayfish in the race.