Profile
Helen Bond
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Tairua ▷
Tairua Campground
We loved this site for its friendliness and laid back feel.
It was small but felt cosy with good community spirit between campers. The facilities were adequate and clean but not plush. The showers are paid, but hot. They stop running when the time runs out - but we were warned! The wi-fi was excellent, but we had to sign in to the campsite not to the library (The library wi-fi was not available when the library was closed). The site is between the town centre and the estuary lagoon. The town centre is small, but has everything you need. We needed to add to the crockery and cutlery supplied for our rented van and found just what we needed from the "Op Shop" ("Charity Shop", in UK) run from the church hall just beyond the last shop. Worth a visit anyway!! The lagoon is great for bird watching and swimming when the tide is in. Over the peninsula to the Pacific is a beautiful sandy surf beach - no eating facilities there though, so take a picnic. We liked this site so much that we booked an extra night. Highly recommended.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Miranda ▷
Miranda Tasman Holiday Parks
The most expensive site we stayed at, but reflected in the facilities provided.
Good showers with hair dryers. Large kitchen and lounge area with TV and books. Free tennis court and hot spring pool. Shop with basics. Also Great cooked food available from Thermal Pools next door. Stayed extra nigh. Good place to rest and recuperate during travels.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Whakapapa Holiday Park
Brilliant site; fantastic location on edge of village; excellent facilities.
Good, fast wi-fi. Friendly man on reception gave us map of local walks and info about them. So much to do we wish we could have stayed longer. Ski lift a short drive away (lovely cafe at the top with irresistible cakes and good coffee). Amazing visitor centre, more like a museum.All the walks around are incredibly interesting, most have information boards along the way, are well signposted, and have walkways where ground is boggy. Some more challenging than others. Would recommend this campsite for anyone wanting to explore the Tongariro National Park.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Hahei ▷
Hahei Beach Resort
A little expensive,but great site with good facilities in line with cost.
Bath available for mothers with babies. Quite big, but well laid out in sections. Shop and kiosk for chicken and chips on site. Direct access to beach and walk to Cathedral Cove.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Waihi ▷
Waihi Beach Tasman Holiday Parks
A good site of usual Top 10 standard.
A bit crowded and commercialised, but good for family beach holiday. It was raining when we were there, so difficult to assess on behalf of foreign tourer, but large amount of housing development behind spoiled overall impression. It was a good stop-over on the way to Coromandel.
Many thanks for your positive review
waihibeach
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Okarito ▷
Okarito Camping Ground
We are glad we made the detour to this lovely site.
It is small but has a laid back and friendly atmosphere. The site wardens were very friendly and helpful. The facilities were basic, but it had everything. No power for hook-up, but good fast w-fi. It seems that we wee fortunate that it was not too crowded, for we had plenty of space and did not have to queue for showers or toilets. Direct path to amazing beach, and good walks from car-park just outside the site. Trig walk recommended for views of Franz Josef glacier - on a good day! We were lucky!
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Hampshire Holiday Park Wanaka
Great site, friendly staff.
Good kitchen and laundry. Showers clean. Dump station just outside the entrance. Close to lake, just a little further to town. New World supermarket short distance away (walking distance if not too much to carry).
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Springfield ▷
Kowai Pass Domain Camping Ground
Loved this site.
Good facilities and good value for money. Facilities basic but clean. Good stopover if leaving or heading for Christchurch. Tennis courts.Lovely cosy cabin with kitchen and sitting room. Hook-up. Laundry.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua ▷
Cosy Cottage Thermal Holiday Park
A little on the expensive side for the standard of facilities, but made up for by the number of facilities available, and it "wakiness"!
Must be the only campsite on the planet offering thermally heated camping sites. Huge mud pool on site (fenced off for safety), and natural steam Hangi ovens for free use by guests. Short walk to lakeside beach where you can dig in the sand to create your own heated pool (The lake water is actually very warm). The walk has hot streams and steam vents along the way. The site has three small but beautiful warm and relaxing thermal spas, free for guests. Most campervan sites have hardstanding and grassy area with picnic tables. Laundry & drying area, kitchen and dining area. Showers clean and adequate. I would recommend this campsite for it novelty value as well as the facilities and proximity to Rotorua. Rotorua is within walking distance if you are fit, but the Maori village of Ohinemutu is next door and shouldn't be missed - and it's free to visit.
Thank you for your comments and review. We appreciate it.
Cosy Cottage
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South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷ Kaikoura ▷
Kaikoura Peketa Beach Holiday Park
Friendly and helpful reception.
Good wi-fi. small shop sold essential items, and best of all, Pie and Chips to order in the evenings! Several small shower blocks for different areas of the site; clean and water hot. Play area for children and adults. I enjoyed beating my husband at the giant 4-in-a-Row! Site exit straight onto the beach. Flip-flops required as the sand was too hot to walk on. Steeply shelving beach good for surfers and strong swimmers, but not so good for children. Pity about the constant noise of helicopters overhead during the day. Short drive to Kakoura, but well worth being outside town for the facilities and the beach.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Greymouth ▷
Jacksons Retreat Campervan Holiday Park
Possibly the best site we have ever visited.
Pity about the "liquid sunshine", but it wouldn't be rainforest without it! Shower block was exceptional - spotlessly clean, hairdryers, flowers and carpets. Covered camping areas available, forest walks, glow-worms, waterfall. Good kitchen, reasonable size pitches and a friendly weka. What more could you want.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Momorangi Campsite
Great place for rest and recouperation after travelling!Great facilities.Great view over Sound and close to safe swimming/boating area.
Good to have shop, as few other facilities nearby. Lovely walks in forest. Appreciated the information boards.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Apollo Motorhome Holidays
Hired a cp'van from Apollo C'church, and spent the first week simmering with anger!
If you want to enjoy your experience,AVOID THIS COMPANY.The staff member who dealt with us was rude and unhelpful.We thought we had paid for everything in advance but found that we had to pay extra insurance and for cleaning the van.I refused;said that we wd clean it ourselves.They did not push the issue,but we were made to feel uneasy in case we had to pay a fine for it not being clean on return.They did not give us the table and chairs that we had paid for,so after an hour, we had to go back for them -no apology, just "Oh, help yourself from the pile over there". It was a pile; we had trouble finding two chairs that were not broken.The chairs were cheap and so low slung that we could not eat off the table, which was rusty. It would have been cheaper to have bought the table and chairs from a local supermarket.Welcome Pack=1 toilet roll+1 chemical pod. The van was very poorly equipped.Fixed single beds but only one duvet, so were forced to put up the double bed every night, heavy work for two older people, especially when tired after a long day. We were given only two towels, which were dire after 4 days rain;1tea towel,no dish or floor cloths. No water carrier.The bucket was broken.The fridge runs only off 12v so more than 24hrs of Freedom Camping is difficult.No handbasin in shower.Only 2 of each item of crockery.No draining board in van and no bowl to carry to campsite kitchen for washing.We broke a mug,so had to share 'til we could buy another.Boiled eggs for br'fast and you have to lick spoons well to make the coffee! No fly screens to keep out sandflies. Microwave, but no microwavable dishes except the ones you are eating from. When you return the van, tax is payable on the diesel used, based on mileage, so keep back some funds. I gave 1pt because van was clean and drove well.All veh's are automatic even if manual ordered - is best in the end, but wd be good to know in adv.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Havelock ▷
Pelorus Bridge Campground
I have only given 7 because the powered sites were over the bridge and detached from the main campsite.
The only facilities here were the electric hook up and a sort of portakabin with one toilet and one toilet/shower. If someone was in the shower, anyone in the toilet next door got wet feet. There was a code number to enter on the doors for access. The numbers were very small, so people needing reading glasses had to carry them there to get in. I left my glasses inside and realised straight away, but couldn't see to get back in! By the time I did, there was another pair there as well! It was a lovely area, well shaded, but some of the bays were a bit small for larger vans. The unpowered site was a lot better - much bigger, but with plenty of space. Good showers and kitchen. Right next to the river (not a lot of water when we were there, but flood and evacuation notices tell their own story). Good shop and lovely cafe. The public car park was very busy, but the campsite was like a little oasis. The river had many beautiful swimming pools and was remarkably warm, and some good walking paths. Great place to stay. If facilities had been better for powered sites would have given 10.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Flaxbourne Motel and Camping
Great place for a stop over.
Friendly and helpful.only small number of tents/vans so only 2 showers but no queues. Good kitchen. Good fast wi-fi.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Franz Josef ▷
Whataroa Hotel Camper and Caravan Park
We called in the hotel to book in to this site and were taken to see the facilities before paying - fortunately.
The campervan parking area was in a boggy car park surrounded by unused machinery, and the showers and toilet were in the hotel which was closed at night. This is the first campsite I have ever refused to stay at.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Methven ▷
Rakaia Gorge Camping Ground
Loved this site.
Totally unpowered, so a torch is essential for night visits to loos, and last shower needs to be before dark! A lot of caravanners staying relatively long term led to a very friendly atmosphere. Wardens friendly and helpful. Facilities basic but clean. All reflected in the price. Hand laundry area with hot water. Dump station not far outside site. Short stay campervans normally situated overlooking the bright blue gorge - quite spectacular. Short walk to swimming areas in the river and the jet boats. Lovely walks to viewpoints from the far side of the two bridges. Worth staying just to soak up the view! Could be dire in bad weather, I suspect!
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Ohakune ▷
Ohakune TOP 10 Holiday Park
Quite expensive, but a top class site.
Facilities best I have ever seen, if you want luxury. Showers are press button (free), but you get plenty of time and there is a heated towel rail, and a heated cubicle as well as hot water. there are the usual kitchen/dining area and lounge - with a piano! Indoor and outdoor drying areas. Buses available to the Reserve and walks. Ruapehu visible from the campsite - our first snow sighting in North Island! Reception doubles up as gift shop and information centre. Friendly - honest enough to admit that we could purchase wi-fi, but it doesn't work!
Thank you for your kind words, sorry that you had trouble with the Wifi, unfortunately we have no fibre in town yet, so this is out of our control
ohakunetop10
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Whatamango Bay Campsite
Great for last night stop over as long as you don't mind windy road, though not much traffic.Very quiet when we stayed.
Beautiful location next to the Sound. Good bird watching. 8dolls pp was quite expensive for facilities offered - public toilet and water tap. Provision of showers would help a lot. Portakabin would do, gas to power and slot to pay.No power on site, but not a problem.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Lake Tekapo ▷
Lakes Edge Holiday Park
Very crowded for the price, but such a brilliant location the demand was high!
Campervan spaces were a little closely packed, but when staying somewhere like this you do not need to spend too long in your van. Water on site with hook-up. Children's play area nearby, but we do not mind that. We like children! Showers were good, hot and clean. Code to enter on door for access was fiddly to use and difficult to see for those who ventured out without reading glasses. Had to queue for the showers. Not sure about the Unisex idea. Good in theory, because families can go in together and Dad can take little girls for showers, but not good for ladies wanting to take a private wash or attend to personal hygiene/appearance in private. Perhaps some individual cubicles with washbasins and mirror in would be an idea. These are very popular in the UK. Queue for on site dump station.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Makarora ▷
Makarora Country
Good site for stop over.
All facilities good and clean. Paid for wi-fi but can only get reception when at the bar. the bar had closed by the time we went down, so didn't get any w-fi for my money! Shop and bar. Lovely sun sets and views.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Porirua ▷
Aotea Lodge
After getting off the ferry, we stopped at the museum in Wellington and the traffic was so bad at rush hour that we stopped at the first place we came to that was out of the city!
It is a lovely family run Motel with good facilities, but for campervanners, it is just a car park with use of the facilities. It had a good shower and kitchen/lounge area and use of the swimming pool, but it was a bit disconcerting to be going to the showers in my PJs when other people using the car park were conference attendees in smart clothes and carrying clip boards! The car park was quite steeply sloping. There was hook up and good wi-fi. The proprietors were helpful and friendly. There are nice walks available around the lake. This place has potential - all it needs is a level grassy area out of public view, then I would have given it 10.