Tōtaranui Campground
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Tōtaranui Campground
Camp next to the clear waters and golden sands of Tōtaranui beach at the northern end of the Abel Tasman National Park. It's a great place to relax on the beach, swim, kayak, fish or explore native bush on one of the nearby tracks.
As far as DOC campsites go, the Totaranui Camping Ground is pretty bling, and extremely popular.
This campsite is an excellent to base yourself from if you are keen to explore the Abel Tasman National Park. From here you can walk, sea kayak, catch water taxis, dive, fish - it's a marine mecca.
During December and February it is full of New Zealander's from Christchurch and can therefore be very hard to book into - do not show up and expect a site as during this time it is very unlikely.
This campsite is accessible by road, walking or by water taxi. Even though this is a popular campsite, there are no powered sites, so be prepared.
You must remove all your rubbish and recycling from this site when you leave.
Notices
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Totaranui access road slip
There has been a slip on the Totaranui access road. The road is now open, but care should be taken when crossing the slip site.
First published on 22 November 2024. Last reviewed on 29 November 2024.
DOC Campsite Pricing
Tōtaranui Campground 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 |
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| 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 |
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Organisation |
DOC Nelson/TasmanCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Abel Tasman |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
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Basic Camping
Reviews
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4.5/5
Brilliant location once you get through the steep, windy unpacked road.
Loads of space so presumably very busy in the summer. Wildlife to see especially cheeky weka, great access to walks. We did a lovely loop over Gibson Hill to the hut then back along the coastal path. Only drawback was having to pay a $10 booking fee on top of the camping fees and we couldn’t book online for the same day we arrived. I think we just got caught out by the DOC booking rules.
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5.0/5
Very large campsite so plenty of space.
Lots of nice nooks to tuck away in if you’re wanting privacy. Great location, right by the beach and hiking tracks. Excellent facilities. Cold showers only.
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5.0/5
Very nice campground.
Toilets & showers were nice & very clean. Heaps of space for parking. Right on a gorgeous beach & perfect for walks around Abel Tasman - we did the Separation Point & it was stunning!
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4.5/5
This place would have got 10/10 apart from the cheek of the wekas (one literally hopped into our van and stols some cheese and ran off, another actually chased me) and sandflies were a bit annoying too
(but bearable with repellent). Very scenic campsite, water is drinkable, flush toilets and cold showers (nice and clean), grassy spots to park (we had a whole field to ourselves in May), office sells basic supplies too.
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5.0/5
The Totaranui campsite is great!
Apart from the views, the location and the beach access, the campsite is well organised. It is subdivided into bays, sheltered by trees, with an ablution block in nearly each bay. Fresh water, basins for doing dishes and cold showers (but also equipped with hooks to hang up your own hot solar shower!) are available. The campsite office had a small shop open in the morning (during off season) and we were able to get ice for our esky! Bookings are required prior to arrival. DOC pass is accepted.
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4.0/5
This is a nice big campsite.
And it can get busy in the holidays. If you want piece and quite in a remote location then you should avoid in Summer.
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5.0/5
Excellent spot at this time of year - not busy at all and still (just) warm enough for a swim.
We came for one night initially but stayed for two (and would've stayed longer if our itinerary allowed).
Clean flush toilet facilities and cold showers available. Fire pits laid out around campsites which can be used when there's no fire ban.
Dump station available and fresh drinking water available near campsites.
Very friendly and helpful DOC staff around to answer questions during business hours. Special shout out to Rusty who lives and works there, and has been coming to Totaranui for the last 50 years - very knowledgeable and just lovely to chat to!
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4.5/5
Wow...what a beautiful place.
I would come back here in a heartbeat. There is so much hiking (trekking) to do here! Sandflies present but manageable. Be sure to bring everything you need with you...the drive back into town (Takaka) is pretty long! All water is potable; toilets are clean; showers are cold.
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4.5/5
Huge DOC site behind a lovely beach.
Great for day walks. Many facilities blocks very clean with cold showers and washing facilities
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5.0/5
Really, really pretty!!
Such a good campsite, golden sands, clear sea and heaps of walks.
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5.0/5
It's hard to get to (especially with a big van) but SO worth it.
The beach is beautiful and the place is huge, only a few people mid December. Only cold showers but clean. Not many sandflies. Didn't want to leave!
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3.0/5
One of the less attractive DOC sites, big patch of grass to share for everybody, walk a bay further and you are back in paradise.
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4.5/5
Brilliant location once you get through the steep, windy unpacked road.
Loads of space so presumably very busy in the summer. Wildlife to see especially cheeky weka, great access to walks. We did a lovely loop over Gibson Hill to the hut then back along the coastal path. Only drawback was having to pay a $10 booking fee on top of the camping fees and we couldn’t book online for the same day we arrived. I think we just got caught out by the DOC booking rules.
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5.0/5
Very large campsite so plenty of space.
Lots of nice nooks to tuck away in if you’re wanting privacy. Great location, right by the beach and hiking tracks. Excellent facilities. Cold showers only.
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5.0/5
Very nice campground.
Toilets & showers were nice & very clean. Heaps of space for parking. Right on a gorgeous beach & perfect for walks around Abel Tasman - we did the Separation Point & it was stunning!
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4.5/5
This place would have got 10/10 apart from the cheek of the wekas (one literally hopped into our van and stols some cheese and ran off, another actually chased me) and sandflies were a bit annoying too
(but bearable with repellent). Very scenic campsite, water is drinkable, flush toilets and cold showers (nice and clean), grassy spots to park (we had a whole field to ourselves in May), office sells basic supplies too.
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4.0/5
This is a nice big campsite.
And it can get busy in the holidays. If you want piece and quite in a remote location then you should avoid in Summer.
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5.0/5
The Totaranui campsite is great!
Apart from the views, the location and the beach access, the campsite is well organised. It is subdivided into bays, sheltered by trees, with an ablution block in nearly each bay. Fresh water, basins for doing dishes and cold showers (but also equipped with hooks to hang up your own hot solar shower!) are available. The campsite office had a small shop open in the morning (during off season) and we were able to get ice for our esky! Bookings are required prior to arrival. DOC pass is accepted.
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5.0/5
Excellent spot at this time of year - not busy at all and still (just) warm enough for a swim.
We came for one night initially but stayed for two (and would've stayed longer if our itinerary allowed).
Clean flush toilet facilities and cold showers available. Fire pits laid out around campsites which can be used when there's no fire ban.
Dump station available and fresh drinking water available near campsites.
Very friendly and helpful DOC staff around to answer questions during business hours. Special shout out to Rusty who lives and works there, and has been coming to Totaranui for the last 50 years - very knowledgeable and just lovely to chat to!
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4.5/5
Wow...what a beautiful place.
I would come back here in a heartbeat. There is so much hiking (trekking) to do here! Sandflies present but manageable. Be sure to bring everything you need with you...the drive back into town (Takaka) is pretty long! All water is potable; toilets are clean; showers are cold.
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4.5/5
Huge DOC site behind a lovely beach.
Great for day walks. Many facilities blocks very clean with cold showers and washing facilities
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5.0/5
Really, really pretty!!
Such a good campsite, golden sands, clear sea and heaps of walks.
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5.0/5
It's hard to get to (especially with a big van) but SO worth it.
The beach is beautiful and the place is huge, only a few people mid December. Only cold showers but clean. Not many sandflies. Didn't want to leave!
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4.5/5
I can imagine this can be quite crowded, and with good reason, but when we were here (mid-November) it was only 1/3 full.
Selected our spot next to the water. Truly amazing view. Clean showers, no power, but a dump station at the entrance. Lots of short and long hikes starting from the site. Well worth the hassle of driving to the north end of Abel Tasman. One of the most beautiful spots we've been to.
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5.0/5
This campsite was the best site we stayed at during our holidays.
This site is next to a level place, next to a beautiful beach, under the amazing sky at night. It's only the drive there through the mountains but it's all worth it. Highly recommended.
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5.0/5
Great location a few steps from the beach.
Not too many sand flies. Toilets are great, with (very cold!) showers too. A few tables and good working running water always available. Tracks around it are ok, but you come here more for the beach than the great views like Milford Sound etc. Be sure you paid even if you arrive late cause they check every morning!
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5.0/5
After a 10 km gravel road with 7 meter van we were in heaven.
We had the place with 10 other guests, our own field. Nice ranger keeps everything super clean told us
that up to 890 people can stay there so we were very lucky! Stayed for 2 nights and had nice hikes. Gate closed at night. Has showers but cold.
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5.0/5
Love this campsite...
great facilities... great firepit. Thank you to the DOC warden, Pam. Amazing place, we felt sad when we had to leave early the next day, winter time at this campsite was cool, only ones in the entire place...except for the Weka birds. Love this location and I have visited many on this kayaking journey. Doc campsites are amazing - this is a gem.
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4.5/5
Really nice DOC campsite, plenty of spots and right on the beach.
Visited at the end of June and basically had the place to ourselves. Long gravel road to get to the site but well worth it!
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4.0/5
Wonderful site, family friendly.
Safe and fun place to be. No power, but clean water and waste disposal. Beautiful location, great beaches and jetty to launch boats.
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4.5/5
At the end of a dusty, winding track sits this haven of a campground, off grid, run by DOC.
Stunning coastal walks and pristine, secluded beaches along the way. Just lush! Very friendly campers and lots of families.
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5.0/5
One of our favourite campsites.
A great location at a beautiful golden beach. For a DOC campsite, pretty flash facilities: flush toilets, (cold) showers, camp office + little shop (they sell ice for the chilly bin!), WiFi.
Thumbs up!
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4.5/5
Beautiful location, really worth driving the 12 km gravel road.
Really quiet in the beginning of November, so we had the beautiful golden beach all for ourself. Toilet and showers are basic, but if you don't mind you should definitely stay here.
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4.0/5
This campsite was all about the location.
The National Park is stunning and we did some lovely walks and saw some great wildlife. The facilities were understandably basic but clean (toilets, cold shower, no kitchen but there were sinks for washing up). It cost us $15 per person in October which I think was a bit steep considering the facilities, we've paid less and had hot showers etc. The site is huge but it was very quiet when we were there.
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5.0/5
$10 pp in May for a campervan.
The road to get there is beautiful. Wonderful site on a remote beach that you can reach via a gravel road, well maintained so no issues here. Arrived just before sunset and it was wonderful to walk on the beautiful beach. Was mostly empty in May but it apparently is very busy and crowded in summer.
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5.0/5
AWESOME place.
We went mid April and basically had the place to ourselves. Spots for fires. Bathroom and trash area provided. Stay in spot U20 and the cove next to the camp spot is awesome for swimming.
Sand flies out of control. Bring bug spray.
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