Sam Brydon
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Turangi ▷
Urchin Campsite
Beautiful spot.
Uncrowded in the height of summer. Surrounded by beautiful beech forest and great walks/ mountain bike tracks. Lots of birds, kaka song. Lots of space. BUT the long drop was unusable, piled up just below the seat and a stench that had me retching. Consequently lots of loo roll and sanitary wrappers in the nearby bit of wood. Grim.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Coromandel Town ▷
Fletcher Bay Campsite
This is a very remote and peaceful campsite.
It was fully booked when we stayed just after Christmas, but it did not feel crowded and there was a choice of places to camp. We got a spacious spot looking out to sea. The other campers were friendly and considerate on the whole, mostly there for fishing, hiking and mountain biking. There were lots of pro tent set ups and few motor homes. All noise stopped by 10 each night. The toilet blocks were clean and well maintained. The long drop toilets were miraculously unsmelly. The cold shower was large, clean and private. There are washing up sinks and some toilets have sinks in them. There is vodaphone coverage in most areas of the campground, up to 3 bars. The beach is grey sand, gravel and stones, so not the most picturesque, but it does have good rock pools and is safe for swimming. We tried snorkelling, the water was quite clear but not many fish close to shore. My partner loved the mountain biking trails straight from the campground so he would give a score of 10. The Coromandel walkway starts from the campground. The first half hour is farmland and a bit arduous and then it becomes very scenic. We had a lovely relaxing time.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Raglan ▷
Ruapuke Beach Motor Camp
Lovely setting, we managed to find a quiet and private spot next to the stream.
Great walk to the beach. Lots of different mown areas to choose from, surrounded by trees. Lots of birdsong. Very peaceful at this time of year (and with Auckland in lockdown). Dog friendly which is great.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Te Kuiti ▷
Piropiro Campsite
Very remote, peaceful and pretty.
Lots of birds. Lovely walks nearby with interesting mosses, lichens and other vegetation. Long drops were bearable. Other campers were quiet and kept to themselves. Loads of space. Some huts with stoves you can use and it’s ok to have campfires. Great for nature lovers and dog friendly which is a rare find.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Greymouth ▷
Jacksons Retreat Campervan Holiday Park
Perfect camp site.
Well maintained. Lots of native plantings that attracted many tui, bellbirds and kereru. Free range chickens roaming around. Lots of space. Close to native bush with walks. Very well maintained and attractive facilities. Power showers! Lovely fresh picked flowers in the bathrooms. Really quite perfect. Friendly owner. They have got it just right.
Hello Sam and thank you for posting your review for prospective campers, we hope to see you again and wish you all the best, regards Toni
Maxim Vassiliev
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Mavora Lakes Campsite
This is a very beautiful spot.
The lakes are lovely and DOC have provided great campsites with picnic tables and fire boxes. However, it appears to be frequented by people (mostly Kiwis) who are not really there to appreciate the peace, beauty and wildlife, but instead have arrived with trail bikes, power boats and crates of beer. Instead of using the long drop toilets, many of them prefer to shit in the woods. Yuck. Not worth the 35km gravel road.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking
Free camping doesn't get any better than this.
We drove up the side of the lake for a while, trying to find the very best spot, which we eventually found, with views of Mount Cook, easy access to the lake. It was just breathtakingly beautiful.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Cascade Creek Campsite
The area around this campsite is just stunning.
Lake Gunn - wow. The nature walk is also lovely. The campsite is a large area surrounded by native beech forest and a small river. Sadly the river has didymo and this spoils the look of it, although it is full of young trout and we saw a large eel. There are robins scavenging among the camp sites. It gets very crowded at dusk as it is the last campsite along the Milford Road - too crowded really. However, the lake sold it for me. As per usual, some idiots shit in the forest instead of in the long drops. And others leave bags of rubbish.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Manapouri ▷
Manapouri Motorhome and Caravan Park
Ok, this place should have been perfect.
It was neat as a new pin, and the facilities were out of this world (self contained bathrooms!). But... but, it felt somehow too military, too perfect. The owner was a little brusque when my travel addled mind couldn't understand her instructions (which seemed to assume some former knowledge of the camp). It was soooooo clean and organised, it lacked joy and character. But, I can't fault the facilities, the peace, the amazing washing lines. It just wasn't for me. I felt uncomfortable. Plus there is only one facilities block, and depending where you camped, it was a very long walk.