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Megan Belanger
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Lake Tekapo ▷
Lake Alexandrina
3.5/5
We are non-self contained so we tried to stay here instead of the Lake McGregor site next-door (which was listed as self contained only at the time).
However, we got there and it seemed to be the same site with the Alexandrina side being for long stay caravans and the McGregor side for everyone else. We ended up staying at McGregor - which was great. A bit confusing at first but the McGregor site has toilets and taps and definitely allows non self contained vehicles - or tents!
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Onamalutu Campsite
5.0/5
Super clean bathrooms, amazing open spaces, and a cute picnic table area.
Lots of little flies made it annoying to sit down and eat, so we walked and ate! But it’s much better than dealing with sandflies. Most of these were just harmless little flies. There weren’t many people there so it felt very private. Great cheap place for camping - 8$/person. Would recommend.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Cascade Creek Campsite
4.5/5
Great walk by the lake.
Large open space with plenty of parking. Nice river for a quick swim. There’s water for drinking and cleaning dishes which is great. Self contained and non self contained vehicles, as well as tents, are welcome. Great location. Picnic tables and clean toilets were nice. Little fire places to build a bit of a bbq /campfire if you have some firewood. Only downside is the sand flies - there weren’t a lot but they did bother us a bit when we were sitting outside. But for the area that’s unavoidable!
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Twelve Mile Delta Campsite
5.0/5
Plenty of campsites in both sun and shade.
Lake was beautiful and great for a swim or paddle boarding. Clean toilets! Awesome walks in the area. We walked to Bobs Cove in the morning and it was a great start to our day. Beautiful views and location.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
Lake Poaka Campsite
5.0/5
Awesome, beautiful place.
Plenty of spots with picnic benches and lake views. No sand flies! The toilet was clean. No running water so bring your own. Walk around the lake was nice and the ducks were friendly. Great location - not too hard to find (maybe in the dark). Really fun times here.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Lumsden ▷
Lumsden Information Centre
5.0/5
Great free place for self contained OR non-self contained.
Toilets were the cleanest we’ve experienced. Great cafes on the same block. Picnic tables and sunny/ shady area were a bonus. and there is a tap for drinking water and cleaning dishes.There’s a playground next to the lot that’s great for kids. Really awesome spot as a midway stop. Grab a coffee at a cafe to support this great little town.
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South Island ▷ Central Otago ▷ Cromwell ▷
Lake Dunstan / Bendigo
4.0/5
Nice views of the lame.
The toilets weren’t the cleanest, but better than some. A bit busy but a great place to stop for just one night. No water - bring your own. Non-self contained vehicles are welcome. Great for a free site.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Henry Creek Campsite
4.0/5
Great little areas to park on the left - shades and close to a GORGEOUS lake.
Non self contained vehicles are welcome. Very private and really beautiful. The mosquitoes and sandflies in the toilets made them practically unusable (hard to pee when mosquitoes are flying up out of the toilet). But we’d stay here again. The bigger toilet near the entrance wasn’t as bad and I’m sure when they clean them there are less bugs. Overall a nice stop for anyone on their way to/from Milford Sound.
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South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷ Kaikoura ▷
Pohowera (South Bay), Kaikoura
4.5/5
The site was great but definitely overcrowded.
There’s only three toilets, which is great for the limits set by the campsite (20 vehicles), but there were over 70 cars parked by the end of the night. We got there around 2-3pm and there was plenty of room, we went for a walk and came back around 6-7 and there were tons of cars! This made the toilets a bit smelly and we had to queue up for them in the morning. However, being a free site, can’t complain. Beautiful ocean views and a good 30 min walk into town. Easy access to the Peninsula walk and a great little food truck (Kaikoura Cheeky Lobster Sea View Food Trailer) with cheap and delicious dumplings and amazing crepes. Not a bad stop at all :)
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Whatamango Bay Campsite
4.5/5
Clean bathrooms, nice views over the water, great place to stop and camp near Picton.
We stayed two nights and had a great time.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Lake Tekapo ▷
Lake McGregor
4.5/5
There are more than 5 sites here - more like 30.
Toilets were excellent and the taps were good for washing dishes. There’s a place for rubbish, which is nice. The lake was beautiful and peaceful. Picnic benches and some grassy areas for eating on. It’s mostly just a parking lot with a nice lake side picnic area, but it’s cheap and ok for non self contained vehicles. Enjoyed our time here. Not many sandflies either.