Winchester Bridge
Overnight Campervan Parking
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Winchester Bridge
This is a Timaru District Council designated self-contained freedom camping spot - you can stay here for up to 3 nights (arrive after 4pm, leave before 10am). Please respect the freedom camping etiquette and leave things how you find them, or better! Have a goody.
Details
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Organisation |
Timaru District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Geraldine |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Freedom Camping
Nearby
Reviews
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4.5/5
Nice free camping area.
Loads of room. Surrounded by trees. Quite close to a road but quiet overnight. 2 pit toilets - clean with hand sanitiser and paper but as they are pit toilets they do smell a bit!
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2.0/5
Info tells me in blurb, stay up to 14 days.
The lower part of the page says stay a maximum of 2 nights ?
New freedom camp council regulations and fines could mean the costs for overstaying outways the costs of wrong information on site, moved on.
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4.0/5
Nice place to stay overnight just outside of Timaru.
We looked at the place in town by the water but the carpark was small for our caravan so we drove on to this one. So glad we did! It was quiet and park like under big trees with a creek. The toilets were smelly compared to other long drops and a bit of road noise but otherwise can’t really fault it for a freedom campsite.
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4.5/5
We arrived around 6pm there was already 4 or 5 campervan/car.
In the morning, we were around 10 and there was still lots of space.
It was nice with the trees. We heard cars on the road in the morning but we still had a good night of sleep. We didn’t use the toilet.
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3.0/5
In theory this place seems nice.
Lots of space, toilets were clean and good. However we didn’t feel very safe. After dark someone on a quad bike showed up and was doing donuts on the wet grass. Later there was lots of shouting and someone blasting their horn. We’ve only stayed here once, so hard to know if this was an isolated issue.
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4.0/5
Bit of road noise as it is next to the highway, but nice atmosphere with trees for shade, 2 long drops, no running water.
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4.0/5
Large shaded area, pit toilet and rubbish bin available.
Moderate amount of noise from the road at night.
Careful if staying after a rain, area gets muddy quick, luckily van didn't get stuck but it was a close call.
Good for a quick snooze overnight.
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5.0/5
Wonderful place to stay, lots of shade and shelter in the trees.
Two clean long drop toilets, plenty of space for multiple vehicles. You do not have to be certified self contained to stay here, you can also pitch a tent here too
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5.0/5
Lovely site surrounded by trees and plenty of space.
Clean drop toilets. A bit of road noise. Within 2 hours of Christchurch.
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5.0/5
Excellent free spot for the night.
Plenty of different options for parking, right near the river. Long drops were the cleanest we have encountered.
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4.5/5
Just enuf off the main highway to sleep well, walked down n enjoyed the river n sounds, toilets tidy.
Stayed the one night. Freaked myself when something hit camper. Was just from trees. Didn't use loos till morning but maybe some glow in the dark strips so reflects touch. Thanks all
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4.0/5
Excellent place for freedom campers, lovely trees and park on stream bank.
Didn’t checkout the toilets which is why I gave 8/10. Otherwise would be 10/10
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4.5/5
Nice free camping area.
Loads of room. Surrounded by trees. Quite close to a road but quiet overnight. 2 pit toilets - clean with hand sanitiser and paper but as they are pit toilets they do smell a bit!
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2.0/5
Info tells me in blurb, stay up to 14 days.
The lower part of the page says stay a maximum of 2 nights ?
New freedom camp council regulations and fines could mean the costs for overstaying outways the costs of wrong information on site, moved on.
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4.0/5
Nice place to stay overnight just outside of Timaru.
We looked at the place in town by the water but the carpark was small for our caravan so we drove on to this one. So glad we did! It was quiet and park like under big trees with a creek. The toilets were smelly compared to other long drops and a bit of road noise but otherwise can’t really fault it for a freedom campsite.
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4.5/5
We arrived around 6pm there was already 4 or 5 campervan/car.
In the morning, we were around 10 and there was still lots of space.
It was nice with the trees. We heard cars on the road in the morning but we still had a good night of sleep. We didn’t use the toilet.
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3.0/5
In theory this place seems nice.
Lots of space, toilets were clean and good. However we didn’t feel very safe. After dark someone on a quad bike showed up and was doing donuts on the wet grass. Later there was lots of shouting and someone blasting their horn. We’ve only stayed here once, so hard to know if this was an isolated issue.
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4.0/5
Bit of road noise as it is next to the highway, but nice atmosphere with trees for shade, 2 long drops, no running water.
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4.0/5
Large shaded area, pit toilet and rubbish bin available.
Moderate amount of noise from the road at night.
Careful if staying after a rain, area gets muddy quick, luckily van didn't get stuck but it was a close call.
Good for a quick snooze overnight.
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5.0/5
Wonderful place to stay, lots of shade and shelter in the trees.
Two clean long drop toilets, plenty of space for multiple vehicles. You do not have to be certified self contained to stay here, you can also pitch a tent here too
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5.0/5
Lovely site surrounded by trees and plenty of space.
Clean drop toilets. A bit of road noise. Within 2 hours of Christchurch.
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5.0/5
Excellent free spot for the night.
Plenty of different options for parking, right near the river. Long drops were the cleanest we have encountered.
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4.5/5
Just enuf off the main highway to sleep well, walked down n enjoyed the river n sounds, toilets tidy.
Stayed the one night. Freaked myself when something hit camper. Was just from trees. Didn't use loos till morning but maybe some glow in the dark strips so reflects touch. Thanks all
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4.0/5
Excellent place for freedom campers, lovely trees and park on stream bank.
Didn’t checkout the toilets which is why I gave 8/10. Otherwise would be 10/10
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5.0/5
Exactly what it advertised, plenty of space for large motor home arrived after dark, some road noise but quiet enough.
Pretty stream behind and freeranging chickens an unexpected delight. Good place for a first stop from Christchurch to anywhere. 😁
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4.5/5
Picked up our van with the intentions to stay a bit closer to Chch decided to head further with our travels on our way to lake Tekapo, was perfect just for the night.
Toilets were better than expected and loads of space on flat ground right near the river.
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5.0/5
We stayed here the first night with our campervan.
It was very secluded, even though it was just a couple km away from the main road. The long drop toilets were clean. We just needed somewhere to spend the night, and this place was perfect for one night. Plus it’s free so that’s a bonus!
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4.5/5
Small campsite for tents and vehicles to pitch up on grass.
New clean drop toilets. No noise disturbance. 2 water taps close to the access road you turn on to from main road
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4.0/5
A perfect little one night stopover spot.
Two large grassed shady areas, close to the river, 2 clean drop toilets, close to road, but not too noisy.
I don’t know why people complain so much about these free sites! Of course drop toilets smell! When it’s a free site, and you’ve got a clean loo to use, then its perfect!
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2.5/5
2 smelly drop toilets, very muddy area, highway traffic noise, 2 trains in the middle of the night, rooster crowing at 4 am, my least favourite camp site of our 2 weeks of camping, but happy with the price
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4.0/5
We got here at around 9.30pm for one night, heading for Lake Tekapo the next morning.
The site is shaded by large trees and there is plenty of space, so even when it is heavily used you would get some privacy. There are two pit toilets which are reasonable clean but apparently used often.
Unfortunately the river is polluted by Cyanobacteria. We didn't let our son play at it.
All in all this is a nice camping spot for a night or two.
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2.5/5
Drop toilets that were disgusting.
Big open space Beside a road for camping. Small bit of road noise. Campsite is fine but really put off by the toilets.
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4.5/5
Great price!
Hot showers! Lovely owner! Easy stop. Coordinates on here not accurate. Check website for address.
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3.5/5
Good base on Mount Cook Road, nice green space with own toilet and water tap roadside but calm.
A path leads to the river but do not go there without a 4x4 because too many pebbles.
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4.5/5
Beautiful open and shaded area with new toilets, taps and even tenting allowed so essentially a truly free campsite!
Space for at least 50 campers so there will always be room available. They have even created a raised 'berm' through the middle which allows the huge area by the stream to avoid almost all road noise. Beautiful nights sleep. Only negative is the lack of a motorhome dump site, but not a biggie :)
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4.0/5
Obviously a new toilet since last reviewer visited.
clean and shiny. Water available from a couple of taps (no signage) along the road frontage. Good spot for an over night stop. We came inland to get out of cold southerly wind and found this very sheltered at the time.
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3.5/5
Very basic, lots of spacers for campers and vans.
Toilet in bad shape but passable for one night.
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2.5/5
a functional park-over spot just off sh1 near quite river.
a bit boggy, lots of traffic noise... road very close, and lots of people coming down after work to walk the dogs. wouldn't use the toilet. Easy access... a place to stay on the way but not to stay. free!
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4.5/5
Great freedom camping spot, lots of room, toilet is disgusting, needs replacing (drop toilet).
Next to the creek. Very pretty area, just off the main road, go over the first rise you will see the camping area, good for camper vans etc.
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3.5/5
Well this was our first night in NZ in the RV, access right to the waters edge and lined up our three RV's.
Was a great start to our trip, kids were keep busy playing around near the water and was a great backdrop to a few drinks as the sun went down. The only drawback (for the ladies and kids) was the toilet, long drop and unclean and needs pushing over with a dozer....
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4.0/5
We had agreed to stay in Timaru for the night, but we checked out the freedomcamps there and found that they were a bit to much like parkinglots for us.
So we went inland and ended up at this nice place. It seems like a picnicarea, but it is nicely located right down to the river. We enjoyed the last afternoon sun by the river, our children walking around in the shallow water and even caught a few very small fish in a jar. Late afternoon a group of young locals joined us in an old campervan. Since it was Saturday, we were afraid they were going to have a party, but they turned out to be very nice and we did not hear them at all.
