Pelorus Bridge Campground
Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve
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Pelorus Bridge Campground
Camp on the banks of the Te Hoiere/Pelorus River amongst towering kahikatea, beech and rimu trees. Walk, swim, fish, kayak, relax.
A serviced camping ground with hot showers, kitchen with stunning deck and views over the river. Powered sites available. Old kahikatea trees tower over the grassed camping area and the beautiful Pelorus River flows alongside. It makes for a refreshing swim at any time of the day. Lots of walk options. Enjoy a drink and something to eat from the cafe which is open year round.
DOC Campsite Pricing
Pelorus Bridge Campground is categorised as a DOC Serviced Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing.
DOC Serviced Campsite
Serviced campsites have a wide range of facilities and services. Flush toilets, tap water that could be treated or untreated, kitchen/cooking bench, hot showers, rubbish collection and road access for all types of vehicles. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Serviced campsites may have laundry facilities, barbecues, fireplaces, cookers and picnic tables.
| Feature | Value | Value |
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| Unpowered Site | Adult | $20.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Child | $10.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
| Powered Site | Adult | $23.00 per night |
| Powered Site | Child | $11.50 per night |
| Powered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC MarlboroughCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Havelock |
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Camping Grounds
Reviews
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4.5/5
A nice place to stay.
To be honest, the campground for unpowered sites is much nicer (especially alongside the river) and has better facilities than the powered sites campground. Powered sites (just cross the bridge on the main road) have more privacy.
Unlimited hot showers, good water pressure. Clean toilets. Water bottle refill station next to the office. Nice walks from the campsite.
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5.0/5
We'd booked a powered site but on arrival the lady at reception recommended the unpowered sites right on the river.
SO glad we took her advice - Got an idyllic pitch (39) and swam in the river right there. Even better swimming spots over the road too.
Great facilities and landscaping. A few sandflies but heyho.
The powered sites are away from the river and in not much more than a car park under trees (giving the lower reviews on here).
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5.0/5
Best DOC campsite site we’ve stayed at so far.
Clean with a shelter for cooking and nice camping spots right by the river.
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3.5/5
I got here after dark and left well before dawn to catch the ferry north, so can't comment much, but it seemed pretty nice.
Powered site seemed a little small but thankfully there were just a couple other vans there when I came in May. The toilets were fine and the shower was nice and hot. Would love to come back when it's warmer and spend some time hiking the nearby tracks.
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4.5/5
This is one of our favourite doc camps in NZ.
We often free camp, but always book and pay for this spot. The riverside location surrounded by established native bush is stunning. The river is beautiful to swim in if the conditions are right. Beautiful walks directly from the camp. Spacious shared cooking area with gas, drinkable water. Hot showers too if you’re not so keen on a river swim.
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5.0/5
Amazing location and campsite!
Excellent facilities. Surrounded by lovely short walks through the bush. Highly recommend campsite 16 as it was private with a view of the river. Whole campground is great though. 10/10!
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5.0/5
Definitely 10/10.
Super friendly owner and personell at the cafe (good food!). River is good for swimming, although wouldn't let children go in becouse of the current. Super chill camping spots all around, good facilities and some beautiful walks. A 10 minute walk through the forest gets you to the "1st waterfall" with many glowworms at night!
We paid $20 per person (unpowered), great value for money.
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5.0/5
Well organized campsite beside the river.
Decent hot showers and kitchen area with gas cookers (no pots/utensils etc so BYO). Washer and dryer $4. There is a cafe onsite too if you didn't want to make food (we didn't try it out though). Can drink the water at the campsite. The water from the kitchen tasted good but the water from the outside taps tasted quite weird so drink from the inside taps. Scenic spots by the river, would come again. Would also recommend the nearby Emerald pools walk.
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5.0/5
We absolutely loved our stay at Pelorus Bridge, we wish we could have stayed longer.
Beautiful scenery, fabulous walks, awesome swimming holes and clean showers/toilets, and extra bonus there's a delightful cafe at the entrance to the park. The pies and slices are just delicious. We will be back for sure.
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5.0/5
We stayed here last night and the spot was amazing.
Great clean facilities. Showers were on timers so had to keep pushing the button for more water. But beautiful quiet spot.
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3.0/5
We stayed on a powered site with our campervan, but this was in a separate area to the main campsite and had no facilities other than a toilet and shower which were quite open so were absolutely freezing
. Didn't feel like a paid-for campsite apart from having power, we stayed in better areas when freedom camping. Quite disappointed overall. But close to nice walks and impressive scenery
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4.5/5
A nice place to stay.
To be honest, the campground for unpowered sites is much nicer (especially alongside the river) and has better facilities than the powered sites campground. Powered sites (just cross the bridge on the main road) have more privacy.
Unlimited hot showers, good water pressure. Clean toilets. Water bottle refill station next to the office. Nice walks from the campsite.
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5.0/5
We'd booked a powered site but on arrival the lady at reception recommended the unpowered sites right on the river.
SO glad we took her advice - Got an idyllic pitch (39) and swam in the river right there. Even better swimming spots over the road too.
Great facilities and landscaping. A few sandflies but heyho.
The powered sites are away from the river and in not much more than a car park under trees (giving the lower reviews on here).
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5.0/5
Best DOC campsite site we’ve stayed at so far.
Clean with a shelter for cooking and nice camping spots right by the river.
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3.5/5
I got here after dark and left well before dawn to catch the ferry north, so can't comment much, but it seemed pretty nice.
Powered site seemed a little small but thankfully there were just a couple other vans there when I came in May. The toilets were fine and the shower was nice and hot. Would love to come back when it's warmer and spend some time hiking the nearby tracks.
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4.5/5
This is one of our favourite doc camps in NZ.
We often free camp, but always book and pay for this spot. The riverside location surrounded by established native bush is stunning. The river is beautiful to swim in if the conditions are right. Beautiful walks directly from the camp. Spacious shared cooking area with gas, drinkable water. Hot showers too if you’re not so keen on a river swim.
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5.0/5
Amazing location and campsite!
Excellent facilities. Surrounded by lovely short walks through the bush. Highly recommend campsite 16 as it was private with a view of the river. Whole campground is great though. 10/10!
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5.0/5
Definitely 10/10.
Super friendly owner and personell at the cafe (good food!). River is good for swimming, although wouldn't let children go in becouse of the current. Super chill camping spots all around, good facilities and some beautiful walks. A 10 minute walk through the forest gets you to the "1st waterfall" with many glowworms at night!
We paid $20 per person (unpowered), great value for money.
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5.0/5
Well organized campsite beside the river.
Decent hot showers and kitchen area with gas cookers (no pots/utensils etc so BYO). Washer and dryer $4. There is a cafe onsite too if you didn't want to make food (we didn't try it out though). Can drink the water at the campsite. The water from the kitchen tasted good but the water from the outside taps tasted quite weird so drink from the inside taps. Scenic spots by the river, would come again. Would also recommend the nearby Emerald pools walk.
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5.0/5
We absolutely loved our stay at Pelorus Bridge, we wish we could have stayed longer.
Beautiful scenery, fabulous walks, awesome swimming holes and clean showers/toilets, and extra bonus there's a delightful cafe at the entrance to the park. The pies and slices are just delicious. We will be back for sure.
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5.0/5
We stayed here last night and the spot was amazing.
Great clean facilities. Showers were on timers so had to keep pushing the button for more water. But beautiful quiet spot.
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5.0/5
One of the nicest campgrounds I've ever stayed in.
Stayed last year in April and it was super busy. This time I had the whole. Park to myself. Crazy. Awesome facilities. Nice hikes close by. Really amazing spot
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5.0/5
Second time we have stayed there, it’s lovely, we parked right next to the river on a non powered site for two nights, the kitchens, toilets & showers spotless, even a washing machine and dryer.
Quite a few sand flies though.
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3.0/5
We stayed on a powered site with our campervan, but this was in a separate area to the main campsite and had no facilities other than a toilet and shower which were quite open so were absolutely freezing
. Didn't feel like a paid-for campsite apart from having power, we stayed in better areas when freedom camping. Quite disappointed overall. But close to nice walks and impressive scenery
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5.0/5
Best campersite ever.
The best we were in our 14 days in Campervan. Incredible beautiful and very nice people. At night you can visit a glew world waterfall, and experience that is really unique! I fall in love with this place.
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0.5/5
It was a total ripoff.
We arrive in the afternoon and the owner told us he only had a powered campsite. With our little trailer we can’t use power but as we were traveling with a baby we didn’t wanna drive on. But then we saw the campsite. I is just a parking lot with gravel in the bush next to the road. No where to sit or crawl around for the baby. The powers campsite have nothing to do with the actual campground. It’s a 15minute walk there. You didn’t have access to any of the facilities. As we complained the owner didn’t seem very interested. We went to the campground and saw a lot of space and more and more people coming. The owner only wanted to make the most money to squeeze es many tents as possible on the small lawn area. Please don’t go there. It’s all about making money out of this beautiful place. It’s such a pity.
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4.0/5
Nice site right by the river where you can swim in a calm spot, or drift out into the mild current.
Sites are assigned by the DoC manager at the café, so maybe have a look round so you can tell them which sites you want.
Hot showers are free, kitchen and toilets very clean, nice decked area with tables inside and outside.
Couple of tracks around, did the waterfalls one; waterfall 1 bit dull but waterfall 2 is ok and if you are extra keen you can take a little dip/cold shower.
Seemed a bit expensive at $18pp but maybe that's the going rate up these ways.
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5.0/5
One of the great experiences in non powered campervan sites.
We stayed on a grassy terrace right beside the river, site well maintained and groomed. River noise overnight was terrific - it rained heavily during the night, and the river doubled in volume! The walks are wonderful, part of the circle track is a part of Te Araroa, the walking trail that goes the length of the country (their website, teararoa.co.nz, offers downloadable maps and Trail guides, well worth the download)
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5.0/5
Absolutely lovely campsite.
Beautiful surroundings and plenty of space.
The (unpowered) campervan spots are in pairs divided by big trees and hedges so you only have one neighbour (we had none at all). Great for a feeling of privacy. There is loads of space all around the site so even if it was full I’m pretty sure you’d have all the space you could need.
There are also spots right by the river - these seemed to be the most popular and were full by the time we arrived at around 6. They are a bit smaller but have a lovely view.
The facilities are good too - good size kitchen with space to eat inside and outside, sinks for laundry plus a washing machine/dryer, nice warm showers with unlimited hot water and plenty of space.
There is a DOC cafe at the entrance (5 minutes walk from the camping section) which had nice food for lunch and good coffee.
Note: other reviews mention that the powered sites are in a less nice location with worse facilities so we didn’t try them - we didn’t see them at all so I can’t comment.
Overall, this is the sort of campsite it is worth going out of your way to stay at. I really have nothing bad to say about it at all.
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4.5/5
Good site and great for swimming.
Kitchen functional and clean - showers hot and powerful.
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3.5/5
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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3.5/5
The location is beautiful.
The facilities remind me of a DOC hut and has very little facilities in the kitchen. It's a damp campground. The cost is at the high end for a campground.
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5.0/5
Lovely site in a lovely place.
Deep pools in the river for swimming, not too keen in October though. Unpowered sites are along the river, just pick your own spot so feels nice and informal. Extremely clean facilities and hot showers. Some nice bush walks around, not spectacular but nice to do. Waterfalls are quite small but pleasant, Trig K walk is through the bush but a very good view West at the top.
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5.0/5
Wow! This DOC campsite is amazing - the staff were friendly and gave us codes to access both powered and non-powered sites.
We had booked the powered site and were reluctant to stay in the non-powered site (as offered to us by the staff there) due to the cold and the need for heater in the van. So they allowed us to use the facility at the non-powered sites. Kitchen was tidy and clean - no utensils or pots and pans, only gas hobs (no power points) and sinks. Toilets were clean as well both in the powered and non-powered. Laundry facility at the non-powered site and a laundry sink. Only 2 toilets in the powered-sites (one of which has a shower with amazing hot water!). No views in the powered site but great views in the non-powered site - so walked down to the river (some sandflies about) and then another walk up towards the waterfall. Spotted some glow worm strands on the Circle track the next morning so should have gone out for a night walk... Poor wifi connection - but who needs it when you have amazing bird song to wake up to in the morning! Hope to be back again, thanks Pelorus team!
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5.0/5
Excellent site with superbly manacured grounds.
Facilities are excellent and immaculate. I accidentally left my phone in the coffee shop and they happily forwarded it on to me down the line ( which I really appreciate thank you) The owners are so friendly and I can't recommend this place enough. If you can go without power I suggest you do without as the powered sites are ordinary.
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4.5/5
Best DOC site we have being to yet.
Clean bath rooms with showers and flush toilets. Helpful staff who also gave us a tip for some glow worm sightseeing at night. The kids loved this night expedition. Lovely cafe with fresh home made pies. s. Unpowered sites have the best lookouts onto the river and easy access. Easy walk with kids to the 2 nearby waterfalls. On the down side the showers were lukewarm at best but that didn't put us of to extend our stay to 2 night. Would give it a 10/10 if it wasn't for the showers.
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4.0/5
Arrived after hours and friendly manager helped with check in.
Separate powered sites with only 2 toilets but unlimited hot showers, separated from kitchen and other facilities, no access to the river. We were the only one in the whole campground early August. No wifi and weak connection. Paid $36 for 2 pax for a powered site. Went over for the unpowered site areas to have a look. Stunning place, would be giving a 10/10 if I stay there. Amazing view at Pelorus River, great kitchen and toilet facilities. Well maintained and beautiful. There are some walks to the waterfall or forest, only if we have time. Take unpowered site if you visit here. Also the cafe looks great, give it a try if you can.
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4.5/5
Stayed at this great DOC campground with great view of the river.
The walks are great. Done a 4 hour hike with our little baby, very steep and lots of rain but VERY good.
