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Campervans that have self-containment certification can camp at the Pohlen Park car park
Motorhomes with self-containment certification can park up and camp for free at Pohlen Park in Matamata. The Matamata-Piako District Council oversee this, and in return ask that campers keep the area clean, respect other park users and obey all signage.
Parking is restricted to a small area of the Northern Carpark only, (3 parking spaces). Please see signage.
Matamata is allegedly known for its wide streets. Random, but handy for campervans!
Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
Matamata-Piako District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Matamata |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Feature | Value | Info |
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Overnight Camping Site Cost |
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Overnight Camping Site CostWhat is the approximate per-person cost to camp or park your vehicle overnight? Free Camping It costs nothing to stay overnight. In general this means that you should not expect any facilities. |
Overnight Stay Rules |
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Overnight Stay RulesWhat are the accommodation rules for overnight stays at this campsite? Self-contained motorhomes only Overnight stays are only permitted if your vehicle is certified as being 'self-contained'. The vehicle must display the "Responsible Camper" sticker. |
Payment Requirement |
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Payment RequirementIs there a cost for this experience or is it free? Free access/participation The experience costs no money to access or take part in. |
Maximum Stay Duration |
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Maximum Stay DurationHow many consecutive days can you stay overnight at this establishment? 3 nights You can only stay at this campsite for up to 3 nights in a row. |
Maximum Sites Available |
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Maximum Sites AvailableHow many camping or parking sites are available for staying overnight in? Up to 5 sites There are only between one and five camping/parking sites available. |
Water Supply |
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Water SupplyIs there fresh water available? No water supply There is no supply of fresh water. |
Shower |
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ShowerIs there a shower at this location? No shower No shower is available. |
Dump Station |
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Dump StationDump stations allow the safe disposal of sewage and greywater from self-contained vehicles. Does this site have a dump station? No dump station This location has no dump stations for the disposal of waste water from recreational vehicles. |
Booking Required |
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Booking RequiredIs it necessary to book a campsite in advance in order to stay overnight? First Come, First Served Sites are allocated in a first come, first served basis. Get in early for the best spot. |
Powered Sites |
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Powered SitesDoes this establishment have powered sites? No powered sites This campsite does not offer any powered sites with an electricity supply. |
Large Vehicle Access |
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Large Vehicle AccessCan large vehicles such as motorhomes, housebuses and caravans gain access? Large vehicle accessible The site is accessible with large vehicles such as motorhomes and 5th wheelers. |
Dogs |
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DogsDoes this establishment allow dogs? No dogs allowed The location does not allow dogs under normal conditions. Their may be be exceptions granted under specific circumstances eg. guide dogs. |
Vehicle Access |
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Vehicle AccessCan vehicles drive in? Vehicle accessible This location is accessible in a vehicle. |
WiFi Internet |
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WiFi InternetWhat type of WiFi internet access is available? No WiFi There is no WiFi access available. |
Campfire Rules |
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Campfire RulesWhat are the rules for open air fires? Fires prohibited There is a total fire ban -no fires are permitted. |
Toilet |
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ToiletIs there a toilet available? No toilet There are no toilet facilities available. Self-contained campervans only |
✓ Quiet at night
✓ Safe location
✓ Free parking
✓ Close to playground
✓ In quaint Matamata
𐄂 Limited to 3 spots
𐄂 Entry directions can be confusing
A good stay for the night.
Note: Our directions were wrong.
This is at the end of Western road.
Very quiet, safe, sleepy town.
Large tar sealed carpark next to a sports field.
Rating | Count | Percentage | |
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10/10 | 3 |
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23% |
9/10 | 1 |
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8% |
8/10 | 3 |
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23% |
7/10 | 2 |
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15% |
6/10 | 0 |
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0% |
5/10 | 0 |
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0% |
4/10 | 1 |
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8% |
3/10 | 0 |
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0% |
2/10 | 0 |
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0% |
1/10 | 3 |
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23% |
0.5/5
I parked at the isite after reading the previous review and someone tried a steal my bike off the back of my van about 1.30am.
I woke up and they ran away but didn't feel safe staying here for the rest of the night
Reviewed 12 days ago
0.5/5
DO NOT CAMP HERE!!!
Only campervan in the car park all night. We felt very unsafe. Cars kept driving into the car park, music blaring, headlights pointed at us, hang around for 10 minutes and then drive off, all night from about 9pm - 5am. Two even treated us to doing donuts at 4am around our van. Save yourself the hassle and park behind the tourist information for free instead. It’s a shame as Matamata is a very lovely town, but it spoiled our experience.
Reviewed 2 months ago
0.5/5
We arrived at about 5pm and it seemed fine so we parked up.
However after it got dark there was one car that came into the carpark. It would park up in the far corner. A few minutes later another car would arrive. The first car would flash their headlights. The cars would park next to each other for a few minutes then the second car would leave. This happened a number of times. By 9.30 we were the only campervan in the carpark and we felt very unsafe so we left and moved to the freedom camping site behind the iSite which feels much safer.
Reviewed 3 months ago
4.0/5
Note: Our directions were wrong.
Entry is via Western St.
No issues at all. Pulled in late and left early. It’s basically just a carpark but a perfectly fine place to stay for the evening if you’re looking for a free spot in Matamata. Very quaint little area.
Reviewed 6 months ago
5.0/5
Very quiet, safe, sleepy town.
Enter via Western St to the parking lot at Headon Stadium. Look for a playground. There will be a sign near there with the info for camping. Only three spots available.
Reviewed 8 months ago
4.0/5
This is at the end of Western road.
There are only three campervan spots in the parking lot. They are the first three on the row closest to the playground and park. There's a small sign to the left of the playground showing exactly where to park . We had a very quiet night here. People started showing up in the morning to play cricket on Saturday morning.
Reviewed 10 months ago
5.0/5
Great spot, toilets were left open all night thankfully!
Very quiet but within walking distance to town.
Reviewed over 8 years ago
5.0/5
Safe and clean, loads of space, and in the parking lot of a park.
Perfect for a quick nights sleep before or after exploring Matamata or Hobbiton :). McDonalds just down the street if you want a proper toilet.
Reviewed about 9 years ago
3.5/5
Large tar sealed carpark next to a sports field.
Small kids playground in a quiet residential area.
Reviewed over 9 years ago
4.5/5
A good stay for the night.
A big car park with enough space. If you are lucky you can also have access to the toilets of the toilets of the nearby sports center.
Reviewed almost 10 years ago
4.0/5
Quiet in a residential area, a carpark and a playground all we needed.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
3.5/5
The carpark is in a residential area and is well-lit.
It is quiet with room for easily a dozen campervans although ours was the only van there. There are no rubbish bins in the vicinity and while most of the carpark was clean there were a couple of areas with trash strewn about. Adjoining the carpark is a children's playground. Dogs are welcome in the park as long as they are on a leash.
We didn't see any signs to direct us to the carpark but local service station attendants knew where it was (the end of Western Street, two blocks down from the Matamata i-site).
Reviewed over 11 years ago
0.5/5
I parked at the isite after reading the previous review and someone tried a steal my bike off the back of my van about 1.30am.
I woke up and they ran away but didn't feel safe staying here for the rest of the night
Reviewed 12 days ago
0.5/5
DO NOT CAMP HERE!!!
Only campervan in the car park all night. We felt very unsafe. Cars kept driving into the car park, music blaring, headlights pointed at us, hang around for 10 minutes and then drive off, all night from about 9pm - 5am. Two even treated us to doing donuts at 4am around our van. Save yourself the hassle and park behind the tourist information for free instead. It’s a shame as Matamata is a very lovely town, but it spoiled our experience.
Reviewed 2 months ago
0.5/5
We arrived at about 5pm and it seemed fine so we parked up.
However after it got dark there was one car that came into the carpark. It would park up in the far corner. A few minutes later another car would arrive. The first car would flash their headlights. The cars would park next to each other for a few minutes then the second car would leave. This happened a number of times. By 9.30 we were the only campervan in the carpark and we felt very unsafe so we left and moved to the freedom camping site behind the iSite which feels much safer.
Reviewed 3 months ago
4.0/5
Note: Our directions were wrong.
Entry is via Western St.
No issues at all. Pulled in late and left early. It’s basically just a carpark but a perfectly fine place to stay for the evening if you’re looking for a free spot in Matamata. Very quaint little area.
Reviewed 6 months ago
5.0/5
Very quiet, safe, sleepy town.
Enter via Western St to the parking lot at Headon Stadium. Look for a playground. There will be a sign near there with the info for camping. Only three spots available.
Reviewed 8 months ago
4.0/5
This is at the end of Western road.
There are only three campervan spots in the parking lot. They are the first three on the row closest to the playground and park. There's a small sign to the left of the playground showing exactly where to park . We had a very quiet night here. People started showing up in the morning to play cricket on Saturday morning.
Reviewed 10 months ago
2.0/5
We pulled in late after the evening tour of Hobbiton, and during the night the local yobs paid us a visit.
Riding around the car park with loud music and horns blaring. We didn't feel secure at this site.
Reviewed over 8 years ago
5.0/5
Great spot, toilets were left open all night thankfully!
Very quiet but within walking distance to town.
Reviewed over 8 years ago
5.0/5
Safe and clean, loads of space, and in the parking lot of a park.
Perfect for a quick nights sleep before or after exploring Matamata or Hobbiton :). McDonalds just down the street if you want a proper toilet.
Reviewed about 9 years ago
3.5/5
Large tar sealed carpark next to a sports field.
Small kids playground in a quiet residential area.
Reviewed over 9 years ago
4.5/5
A good stay for the night.
A big car park with enough space. If you are lucky you can also have access to the toilets of the toilets of the nearby sports center.
Reviewed almost 10 years ago
4.0/5
Quiet in a residential area, a carpark and a playground all we needed.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
3.5/5
The carpark is in a residential area and is well-lit.
It is quiet with room for easily a dozen campervans although ours was the only van there. There are no rubbish bins in the vicinity and while most of the carpark was clean there were a couple of areas with trash strewn about. Adjoining the carpark is a children's playground. Dogs are welcome in the park as long as they are on a leash.
We didn't see any signs to direct us to the carpark but local service station attendants knew where it was (the end of Western Street, two blocks down from the Matamata i-site).
Reviewed over 11 years ago