Profile
Jo Dawson
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Waiomu Domain Beachfront Reserve
A really lovely spot where you can hear the waves crash as you fall asleep (if the rain isn't bouncing off your campervan roof!).
Clearly signed and marked area where you can park up, although some campers still ignored this. 200m walk to clean spacious toilets and also a kids playground. The coffee shop over the road is a must visit. Hot lamb pies, cheese scones and cakes to die for.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Te Puke ▷
Dotterel Point Overnight Campervan Parking
This is sooo close to being my top camping spot in NZ!
Level car parking spots, easy to find and clearly marked. Clean toilets right there and steps from the beach. Beautiful views, quiet spot, friendly locals on the beach walk the next day. Thank you for having this free spot.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga ▷
Cathedral Cove Recreation Reserve Carpark
Another amazing spot - cannot believe you can camp here for free.
Four levelish campervan parking spots, clearly marked and easy to find. The long drop toilets were in good condition and would have been better if previous visitors hadn't used it to dump rubbish or litter toilet paper round. Beautiful views, 40 minute walk to cathedral cove, 15 minute walk down to great brewhouse pub with food - a bit longer on the walk back up the hill!
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North Island ▷ Manawatu - Wanganui ▷ Mangaweka ▷
Simpsons Domain Campsite
Well signposted and easy to find.
Surrounded by bush. Long drop toilet, which was actually not too bad. Secluded spot, we were the only ones there. Flat hills cafe 15 minutes drive away - best cheese scone and sausage roll we have ever had.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Ferry Road Carpark Stopover Area
Great spot overlooking the lake and easy walking distance to shops and bars in town.
We were there with loads of other campers (Lions Rugby Tour) yet there was no noise and friendly locals. The superloos are closest but cost 50 cents and are only open daytime. Only an extra couple of minutes walk away are clean public toilets open 6.15am - 10pm. Great playground in park next to camping spot. Best pie in New Zealand at fast and fresh bakery (venison, bacon and mushroom). Also two brewery bars in walking distance. Fab free spot.
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North Island ▷ Tairāwhiti Gisborne ▷ Hicks Bay ▷
East Cape Campground
The most fantastic setting but very basic facilities (smelly long drop toilet - avoid if possible).
However the sunrise is amazing. The access road is tricky at points, part gravel, part tarmaced and lots of cattle and horses in the road, so best travelling out there in the daylight. Public toilets at Te Araroa (about 13kms away). Stunning setting so worth the toilet!
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North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Napier ▷
BMX Pump Track Carpark, Marine Parade
This is a great free spot - level car park right next to the beach.
Clean toilets, dump station and fresh water. Great kids playground about 10 minutes walk along seafront. Probably a 15 minute brisk walk to town. Great spot for seeing Napier from.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo ▷
Roselands Waitomo Caves
This is a gravel car park at the Roselands complex.
Only access to toilets when the restaurant is open so the camping side of it is nothing special other than the fact it's free. The food however is a different matter - $10 for as much as you can eat beef casserole and roast potatoes and rice. And it is scrummy, packed with meat and the roasties are really good. Very reasonable drinks prices and they showed rugby on a big screen before their movie night. Definitely worth a visit.
Hi Jo,
Thank you very much for your lovely review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay here and thank you for staying for a meal. We know how expensive it can be to travel around New Zealand, even in a campervan so we offer our space for free and the use of our facilities. We do hope to get some facilities set up for use when the restaurant is closed in the near future.
Thank you for taking the time to review us.
Leonie
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North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Te Awanga ▷
Clifton Road Reserve
This is our favourite site so far after a month of travelling around New Zealand.
Level area to park on, right next to the beach, as in waves crashing metres away. Clean toilets. A bar (which does good and reasonably priced drinks) and a fish and chip shop within walking distance. Also wineries within walking distance. We also saw dolphins from here, whilst having our breakfast. Brilliant spot - can't believe it's free!
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Patea ▷
Waverley Beach Camping Ground
This is a great site.
We paid $12 for the both of us on a powered site. Although the facilities may not look like much they had great, hot, free showers and not a cold shower block when you got out the shower! Playground and free bbqs a short walk away, right near the beach. Lovely sunset. All grass pitches which could be worth bearing in mind if it has been raining.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Waihi ▷
Island View Esplanade Reserve
Level car park right next to the beach.
We fell asleep to the waves crashing and woke up to a brilliant sunrise. Toilets were clean and this free site was just a few hundred metres from a fish and chip shop and general store. Definitely worth a stopover.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Hawkes Lookout Carpark
Brilliant spot, great lookout, level parking.
It loses a few points for its very smelly long drop toilet. The views are outstanding and we looked at other free camping spots in the area, this was the best.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Port Motueka Beach Reserve
Car park for free camping.
Level spots and a toilet and tap to fill up water. Right by the beach. Just a bit of a trek into town but a convenient location as the gateway to Abel Tasman/Golden Bay.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Punakaiki ▷
Pororari River Track Carpark
A small, quiet car park - easy to find, near enough opposite the pub.
1km from Pancake Rocks which is where the nearest toilets are. Great spot and great pub, scored a 7 simply because there's no facilities at all.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Renwick Domain Carpark
Car park camping for self contained vehicles.
The bays are clearly marked out, it's in a rugby club car park. Choice of two toilet blocks, both were of a good standard. Short walk to shops, bars (recommend Cork and Keg - you can hire bikes from here to tour wineries) and takeaways. For those of you who are light sleepers, truckers use it as a turning around spot before they park up nearby, but that didn't bother us. Less than 30 minutes drive to Picton ferry.
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin ▷
Dunedin Holiday Park
Paid $36 for two adults and an infant for a night, powered site.
Free wifi which was great for updating and uploading, hot showers and free hairdryers, but cold toilet block. Friendly and informative staff. Nearby service station, bus stop and supermarket. A good 15 minute bus ride into town.
Thank you for taking the time to review Dunedin Holiday Park & Motels.
We also think the bus service in to the city is a fantastic service!
Enjoy the rest of your travels around New Zealand
Dunedin Holiday Park
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Timaru ▷
Caroline Bay
Great location for walking into town (consider Copper Bar for great food) and lovely views.
We weren't disturbed by noise. Toilet block right next to car park, a little open, graffiti and lacking in soap but decent enough for a free stop. All in all - recommended unless you're picky.
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin ▷
Brighton Domain
Fall asleep to the waves crashing.
Beautiful views and sunrise. A decent trek to basic toilet facilities, but this is a free spot to camp. Best views so far. Definitely a better option than the one down the road (but consider here if you need to empty/fill up with water etc).
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Hanmer Springs ▷
Hanmer Field Base and Picnic Area
Great spot and the only place to free camp in Hanmer.
As previous reviewers have said it is tricky to find but basically up Jollies Pass Road, left into Pawsons and then you will see a tiny blue camping sign. Enough for 5 or so campers (there were only two others with us). A bit muddy, but a clean flushing toilet. Great place to aim for on the Picton to Christchurch drive.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Evans Bay Marina Carpark
This free spot is brilliant.
There's clean toilets, great views and whilst I'm sure people came and went and it's by a road/airport, we slept soundly and heard nothing. Also a bonus - we ordered pizza online from nearby Hells pizza and they delivered to the car park - awesome! Twenty minute drive to the ferry terminal the next morning. Thoroughly recommended.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Takapuna Beach Holiday Park
Scoring this park is very difficult.
It's got great views, right on the beach and has toilets/showers, kitchen and hairdryer in the toilets. The manager was friendly. Other than that there really is nothing good to say, it is small, tired and run down, the 'pitches' aren't clearly marked, mainly made up of permanent trailers/vans. Such a strange place for a lovely location. If you need to stay in Takapuna then stay here, if not then maybe see if you can find somewhere better.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Piha Domain Motor Camp
Great location and view and really the only option if you want to camp in Piha.
We paid $36 for two of us on an unpowered site but this did include 12 minutes of showers. Warm water takes a while to come through but that's what you expect at a remote place. Clean shower and toilet block. Kitchen to use if needed. Nowhere for water fill up or waste disposal, again due to location. Nice playground for kids. Good location to walk to Kitekite falls.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei ▷
Reyburn House Lane Carpark, Whangarei
Easily signed campervan spots in a car park.
Free for up to three days. Right by the footpath along the river and the town basin. Easy walk to town, pak n' save around the corner. Clean public toilets about 200m away, we don't think they were locked at night. Also near a great children's playground.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Opua ▷
Hundertwasser Carpark, Kawakawa
Good overnight spot with clean toilets open through the night and the famous Hundertwasser toilets open at 7am.
It is a trucker stop though so some noise through the night. Didn't bother us though.