Dunsdale Recreation Reserve and camping area
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Dunsdale Recreation Reserve and camping area
Closed between May - September every year.
Freedom campers are permitted to stay for up to three days at Dunsdale Recreation Reserve, inland from Invercargill.
This is a huge area, another wicked find! This reserve is well set up with loads of space to camp in, multiple toilet sites and water avaliable. It is very tidy and there is lots of natives being planted. There are walks through the Hokonui Forest.
The Southland District Council and Dunsdale locals offer this up. In return they ask that you obey general free-camping etiquette: respect people, plants and animals around you, restrict noise after 8pm, deposit waterwater etc in an appropriate place and leave your campsite tidy.
The reserve is about 7km down Dunsdale Valley Road, when you get to an obvious intersection, veer right to get to the campsite otherwise you could be driving through the forest forever......
http://www.southlanddc.govt.nz/my-southland/freedom-camping/
Details
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Organisation |
Southland District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Gore |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Basic Camping
Freedom Camping
Nearby
Reviews
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2.0/5
Google maps took us through what seemed like a farm track, to then find out one of the “roads” from the direction we were coming from was closed.
Took a long detour down unsealed roads to find that the whole area around the reserve is being logged. And the reserve will be closed from 1st May - Sept 2023 due to logging. The site was still open when we arrived, but it looked rather wet. And the access road was a steep unsealed road without much gravel on it. Decided to go elsewhere.
RS![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(84,18,50)" /><path d="m 150 670 Q 275 25 -370 150 Q 275 275 150 -370 Q 25 275 670 150 Q 25 25 150 670 z" fill="rgb(140,45,181)" /><path d="m 150 431 Q 227 73 -131 150 Q 227 227 150 -131 Q 73 227 431 150 Q 73 73 150 431 z" fill="rgb(115,210,74)" /><path d="m 150 312 Q 83 217 -12 150 Q 83 83 150 -12 Q 217 83 312 150 Q 217 217 150 312 z" fill="rgb(171,237,205)" /></svg>)
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0.5/5
Even though the sign says it’s open until May2023, we drove all the way to find out it was closed.
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0.5/5
Attempted to get here in June 2022, Google maps must not have been reliable because it was taking us through what looked like private farmland with a lot of open but could-be locked gates while you sleep
. Didn't want to risk it or anger any of the locals so didn't stay here and moved on.
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4.5/5
This place is great!
A bit of a drive to get to it, but not too bad. Make sure you go right at the intersection right before you get to it, since on the maps it’s not quite in the right location. A huge grassy field, well maintained. Flushing toilets! A few sandflys but nothing unusual. Great for a free spot.
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5.0/5
Awesome camp spot.
Green clean and beautiful! NZ gem. Toilets clean with loo paper! Lots of sandflys also there on holiday.
P![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(89,87,173)" /><path d="m 150 545 Q 189 111 -245 150 Q 189 189 150 -245 Q 111 189 545 150 Q 111 111 150 545 z" fill="rgb(102,15,72)" /><path d="m 150 552 Q 67 233 -252 150 Q 67 67 150 -252 Q 233 67 552 150 Q 233 233 150 552 z" fill="rgb(153,240,183)" /><path d="m 150 187 Q 206 94 113 150 Q 206 206 150 113 Q 94 206 187 150 Q 94 94 150 187 z" fill="rgb(166,168,82)" /></svg>)
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5.0/5
Beatifull free camp with clean toillets, fresh water and no people at all.
Little hard to get there as from one side the road is closed. Get there from south-east side
I![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(184,162,131)" /><path d="m 150 566 Q 166 134 -266 150 Q 166 166 150 -266 Q 134 166 566 150 Q 134 134 150 566 z" fill="rgb(15,3,30)" /><path d="m 150 552 Q 171 129 -252 150 Q 171 171 150 -252 Q 129 171 552 150 Q 129 129 150 552 z" fill="rgb(240,252,225)" /><path d="m 150 248 Q 113 187 52 150 Q 113 113 150 52 Q 187 113 248 150 Q 187 187 150 248 z" fill="rgb(71,93,124)" /></svg>)
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4.0/5
Looks like a really nice camp site, unfortunately the gate was locked when we got there as to stop people ripping up the grass over winter, we just stayed on the turn around outside as self contained but
something to know, also a few people parking to go hunting in the bush it backs onto
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3.0/5
No signage from the dirt road showing you which right turn is to the campsite.
Look for a sign that says domain and turn there. I unfortunately did not see this sign and kept going, getting stuck in the mud and having to walk all the way back to a local farmer to pull be out at 1030pm. Bathrooms are what you'd expect for being in the middle of the woods.
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5.0/5
This is the perfect camping getaway with a large, well-maintained campground with flushing toilets, pretty walk and a beautiful stream.
Getting there was confusing but you pretty much follow Dunsdale Valley road until you get into the forest and follow the road for a few minutes until you see a handmade sign with an arrow pointing right. I highly recommend this camp ground it is overlooked! It was our favourite place to rest :)
DB![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(17,103,123)" /><path d="m 150 582 Q 106 194 -282 150 Q 106 106 150 -282 Q 194 106 582 150 Q 194 194 150 582 z" fill="rgb(221,160,112)" /><path d="m 150 468 Q 92 208 -168 150 Q 92 92 150 -168 Q 208 92 468 150 Q 208 208 150 468 z" fill="rgb(34,95,143)" /><path d="m 150 183 Q 74 226 117 150 Q 74 74 150 117 Q 226 74 183 150 Q 226 226 150 183 z" fill="rgb(238,152,132)" /></svg>)
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0.5/5
This place is in the middle of nowhere, do not get there after dark.
We traveled there and got stuck on the road, had to push our campervan out. It was an eerie drive in at 830pm.
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3.5/5
Very basic campsite, some camping tables and two toilets.
Plenty of space in this big meadow, the only shelter is close to the trees that surround it. It's completely FREE :)
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