Marfells Beach Campsite
Marfells Beach area
Check Availability
Accommodation
Maps
Camping NZ NEW
Welcome to New Zealand's most comprehensive database of freely available camping information. This is the only travel map of its kind in NZ.
Photos
Information
Marfells Beach Campsite
Camp within your own touch of paradise next to the sea. Enjoy the stunning wildlife and magnificent scenery.
Beautiful campsite beside a gravel beach not far from Lake Grassmere. Enjoy the sea and sun, or walk along the beach at low tide to Cape Campbell Lighthouse. Toilets, water and cold showers available.
No fires permitted.
Notices
-
Marfells Beach Campsite top toilets out of order
The ‘top’ toilets which are the furthest from the entrance to Marfells Beach Campsite are out of order until further notice.
However, the first toilets you come to are open for use.
First published on 16 August 2024. Last reviewed on 27 August 2024.
DOC Campsite Pricing
Marfells Beach Campsite is categorised as a DOC Standard Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing. Prices vary for some campsites and may include seasonal pricing. Visit the DOC website for exact pricing.
DOC Standard Campsite
Standard campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services than Serviced campsites. These campsites have toilets, a water supply that could be treated or untreated tap water, or from a stream or lake, and vehicle or boat access. Bring your own soap for washing hands. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Wood BBQs and fireplaces, cold showers, picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided; this will vary from site to site.
| Feature | Value | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Unpowered Site | Adult | $10.00 to $15.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Child | $5.00 to $7.50 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
|---|---|---|
|
Organisation |
DOC MarlboroughCentral government organisation |
|
|
Location |
South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim |
|
|
Categories |
|
|
|
Operating Season And Hours |
All year. |
|
|
Directions To Coordinates |
||
|
Coordinates |
||
|
Websites |
|
Basic Camping
Reviews
-
4.0/5
Absolutely stunning location, clean campsite and really friendly people.
Loved falling asleep to the sound of the water from the beach at night. Would stay here again.
-
5.0/5
Quiet place but enough people to make it feel safe.
Elevated site above beach with good views
-
-
5.0/5
Amazing beach front camp ground.
Basic amenities with flush toilets and cold showers. DOC camp host was on site late Jan when we were there. Taking people for bird watching walks etc. Shallow for swimming. Kids loves building driftwood teepees.
-
2.5/5
Nice place but basic facilities and could be kept cleaner.
No soap! Difficult to figure out how to book in, but we followed the instructions and put the slip in the box and the other part on our windscreen. We had a DOC pass so no $ to pay. No idea or signage there was anyone to see on booking in. Next morning we got a lecture from a very rude woman who apparently was the camp commendant telling us she didn't know who we were and we should have seen her on the way in. How about some signage explaining that on the way in. Also we are paying customers so don't expect to be treated in a rude manner. DOC you can do better!
-
5.0/5
Fantastic campsite, the beach on your doorstep, toilet, cold shower, me and my beautiful wife, perfect.
-
5.0/5
Loved it.
Basic DOC site with better than average facilities and a great location. Great place to just chill out.
-
5.0/5
Awesome DoC campsite by the beach.
This is how campsites should be, great friendly camp manager, awesome location next the beach and plenty of sites.
Pros: cheap, great location, wildlife, great sites with every one with a water tap. Friendly helpful camp manager.
Cons: basic facilities, but you’d expect that given it’s a standard site. Can get rather busy with day trippers on the weekends taking up sites for a picnic.
-
4.5/5
A popular place by the beach.
Large area ,plenty of places to park. We parked on the higher ground at the end by the new toilet block. Great views . A great stop off .
-
4.5/5
Beautiful location with parking spots right on the water.
We found a wonderful private spot to park near the higher toilet block and it was magical to fall asleep to the sound of the waves and wake up to a beautiful sunrise. Toilet block was clean and simple. Cold showers which we didn't use. Bring your own hand soap and drinking water or boil the water provided. Highly recommend this place, only reason to not give a 10 was that it was very windy when we were there but still fabulous!
-
4.5/5
As others have described a beautiful stretch of quiet sandy coastline with lots of grass sites looking directly onto the beach.
In July 2020 looked as tho some sites were boggy. Clean flushing toilets. Medium height bushes provide some shade and privacy and some picnic tables available. No hot or potable water. If you are short on green vegetables take a walk beyond the end of the road .... there’s self sown silver beet all over!
-
4.0/5
Lovely little DOC-run campsite with two blocks of toilets and cold showers.
There are a few different areas suitable for campervan a or tents, most with water views.
Most sites face north/east so keep that in mind during windy weather.
Have stayed here twice and enjoyed it both times!
-
4.0/5
Absolutely stunning location, clean campsite and really friendly people.
Loved falling asleep to the sound of the water from the beach at night. Would stay here again.
-
5.0/5
Quiet place but enough people to make it feel safe.
Elevated site above beach with good views
-
-
5.0/5
Amazing beach front camp ground.
Basic amenities with flush toilets and cold showers. DOC camp host was on site late Jan when we were there. Taking people for bird watching walks etc. Shallow for swimming. Kids loves building driftwood teepees.
-
2.5/5
Nice place but basic facilities and could be kept cleaner.
No soap! Difficult to figure out how to book in, but we followed the instructions and put the slip in the box and the other part on our windscreen. We had a DOC pass so no $ to pay. No idea or signage there was anyone to see on booking in. Next morning we got a lecture from a very rude woman who apparently was the camp commendant telling us she didn't know who we were and we should have seen her on the way in. How about some signage explaining that on the way in. Also we are paying customers so don't expect to be treated in a rude manner. DOC you can do better!
-
5.0/5
Fantastic campsite, the beach on your doorstep, toilet, cold shower, me and my beautiful wife, perfect.
-
5.0/5
Loved it.
Basic DOC site with better than average facilities and a great location. Great place to just chill out.
-
5.0/5
Awesome DoC campsite by the beach.
This is how campsites should be, great friendly camp manager, awesome location next the beach and plenty of sites.
Pros: cheap, great location, wildlife, great sites with every one with a water tap. Friendly helpful camp manager.
Cons: basic facilities, but you’d expect that given it’s a standard site. Can get rather busy with day trippers on the weekends taking up sites for a picnic.
-
4.5/5
A popular place by the beach.
Large area ,plenty of places to park. We parked on the higher ground at the end by the new toilet block. Great views . A great stop off .
-
4.5/5
As others have described a beautiful stretch of quiet sandy coastline with lots of grass sites looking directly onto the beach.
In July 2020 looked as tho some sites were boggy. Clean flushing toilets. Medium height bushes provide some shade and privacy and some picnic tables available. No hot or potable water. If you are short on green vegetables take a walk beyond the end of the road .... there’s self sown silver beet all over!
-
4.5/5
Beautiful location with parking spots right on the water.
We found a wonderful private spot to park near the higher toilet block and it was magical to fall asleep to the sound of the waves and wake up to a beautiful sunrise. Toilet block was clean and simple. Cold showers which we didn't use. Bring your own hand soap and drinking water or boil the water provided. Highly recommend this place, only reason to not give a 10 was that it was very windy when we were there but still fabulous!
-
4.0/5
Lovely little DOC-run campsite with two blocks of toilets and cold showers.
There are a few different areas suitable for campervan a or tents, most with water views.
Most sites face north/east so keep that in mind during windy weather.
Have stayed here twice and enjoyed it both times!
-
5.0/5
Excellent DOC campsite.
$8 per adult with clean toilets and cold showers available.
Plenty of beach front sites, was nice to fall asleep listening to the waves.
-
4.0/5
Right next to the beach along a strip of grass.
We arrived around 6pm and managed to get a pretty decent spot. There are two toilet blocks, one is older than the other, both with cold showers. Definitely worth the $8 pp a night, only downside is there is no drinking water available on site.
-
-
5.0/5
Camp right on the edge of the beach.
Road turns into a gravel track and paradise opens up.
Jeff, the camp host, is a lovely chap .... people like Jeff
looking after the site enables us to camp there. A very fine gentleman.
Two toilet blocks containing a cold shower in each.
The water must be boiled for at least 3 mins, filtered and treated.
I will go back to this late piece of heaven.
-
0.5/5
We arrived late, location was actually quite nice.
The DOC guy made me uneasy on arrival and when I was filling out paperwork he asked for my pH number. Thinking nothing of it I asked if my husbands would be ok as I knew his off by heart. Thinking it was part of the booking process. Apparently if I have a husband he doesn't need my number... Yeah not a great start. Female with 3 kids and the camp manager makes a pass in the middle of the night. We made sure to set up between 2 ppl that would easily rouse if there was any disruption. A tent site with kids and 2 parents and a couple also in a tent. As far from the managers caravan as we could. Figured if anything dodge happened they'd hear it faster than a camper van. Internet was hit and miss too but I made sure friends knew where we were and what happened in case it turned to custard. Unless the current manager moves on we won't be back sadly. It was a nice location but isolated so not somewhere you want to be if you don't feel safe
-
2.0/5
A great place to spend the night listening to the waves.
Beach grey sand and dolphins present. One set of toilets and showers very dirty and the other ok. DOC host extremely rude when I unknowingly presented my Campers conservation pass purchased from Rankers that it was not ok to be used that time of year. We had to pay 8 dollars each for the night. Have found the Campers conservation pass not worth the hassle as can't be used widely. The DOC host made a totally inappropriate comment to my partner about females. It is time he stopped doing this job.
-
4.5/5
Amazing scenery, we got there at night and easily got a park away from others overlooking the ocean.
Clean flushing toilets and a cold shower available.
-
-
3.5/5
Not a bad spot for the price.
Extremely busy though! We arrived at around 7 and barely managed to find a space for our tent. Everyone kind of Parks/tents up on the side of the road. As expected for the Christmas holidays though I guess. Beautiful beach. Quiet in the evenings. Be prepared to wake up to the squawking of guls at 5am! Clean toilets and a cold shower which was all we needed.
-
4.5/5
Why do stupid people give a poor rating due to the conduct of other people at a campsite?
This rating system is for the campsite, not outside influences.
-
-
4.5/5
Felt very comfortable, great place for skinny dipping as it's it's quite isolated, Which we did in the middle of winter and it was still extravagant.
Waves a very big and scary but was really cool too and gave me adrenaline. Thought toilet was a shower, i wish it was a shower. we left 10 minutes after that. Neighbours were friendly they cooked us up some sallmon and sausages. Loved the experience !! you can't experience this anywhere else would highly recommend just shower beforehand.
Yours sincerly. Shalmon :)
-
1.5/5
lovely place to camp and really enjoyed the beach, no a lot of space to camp and everyone is close together.
The guy was extremely rude and used disgusting language at us when we went into the toilet area. Put a dampen on the evening.
-
4.0/5
Glorious situation on the beach with friendly resident warden keeping things quiet despite the number of campers.
Cold shower works well for those without a solar bag.
No drinking water.
-
5.0/5
Wonderful place: calm and directly at the sea, a little sheltered.
We just loved the sound of the waves at night. The toilets were clean.
Absolutely worth the drive!
-
4.5/5
Excellent location beside the beach, but be warned the best spots are taken quickly so get there early as it can very busy.
The toilets were clean and well maintained and the site warden was friendly and helpful and the walks from the site worth the effort.
-
4.0/5
Busy site in summer.
clean toilets, bring your own shower. Friendly DOC warden. Fabulous sea view pitches lovely walks along the beach, lots of wildlife including the odd Hoon or two racing up and down the beach on quads and motorbikes. They don't do it for long. As with all free sites there is no entertainment so all fully quiet by 2100. If it's a clear night with no moon it's a very dark sky - fantastic for start gazing.
-
4.0/5
Marfell's Beach is obviously a popular camping site with a lot of people coming and going.
The beach is very exposed to northerly winds and away from the screen of stunted coastal trees it would be quite unpleasant in a tent. The summertime DOC custodian on site was very friendly and does a good job keeping the toilets clean. There are no showers but a cubicle space is provided for campers to hoist their solar showers for use. The campsite water supply seemed to be quite good but carries the usual warnings. I guess when the weather is good visitors manage to find creative ways of using the wide open beach. If the tide is low you could literally walk for miles.
