Jess
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North Island ▷ Tairāwhiti Gisborne ▷ Hicks Bay ▷
East Cape Campground
4.5/5
Beautiful remote place, mountains on one side, the beach on the other, there is a track so you can easily walk to get on the beach.
No signal or wifi so be prepared to fully enjoy the views! A great place to watch the sunset, rise and look at the stars. To get there you go along a long gravel road with loose cattle (don’t worry they will leave you alone) The area is a nicely mowed field with toilets, (cold) showers, water and sink for dishes and bins for your rubbish and recycling. It is $10 per adult and $5 per child so come prepared with the correct cash. There is a sign in/out book and an honesty box to pay, though while i was there the owners did come around to introduce themselves, have a chat and check everything was okay and that you’d paid. A very windy place so keep that in mind when it comes to using your gas cooker! This is the perfect place to stay to get to East Cape Lighthouse as it is just another 15mins drive (and a 20min walk) up to the lighthouse. A beautiful place to stay with good clean facilities and you would be supporting the locals. I highly recommend it.
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North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Napier ▷
Foreshore Reserve Carpark
3.5/5
8 clearly marked spaces right next to the toilets and the beach.
If you manage to get the beachside spots then you can have a lovely view. There is also a drinking water fountain close by. The spaces get filled up quickly, I was there from around 1400 and by 1600 all the spaces were taken, so I’d recommend you get there early. There were quite a few self contained vehicles in these spaces, it would’ve been nice had they gone elsewhere and allowed those non-self contained to stay here given that there is limited places for them. There is plenty of space for other vehicles to park up for the night, just not within the allocated spots. When I stayed there the place was full, I’m assuming if you are self contained then they allow you to stay there even if parked outside of the marked spots as this is a heavily monitored place and as far as I’m aware no one was asked to move. Toilets were clean and spacious.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Hipapatua / Reid's Farm Recreation Reserve Free Campsite
3.0/5
A good location for Huka Falls (either a 5min drive or 20min walk) the actual camping area has four portatoilets, two at either end, unfortunately during my stay two at one end we’re completely blocked
and in need of a clean. The nice toilets shown in the pictures are long drop toilets and located a short walk from the camp ground (in the day parking section), along with the sink for washing your dishes. I have camped here twice, the first time there was plenty of space and people could spread out, however the second time was closer to Christmas and was very busy, by the time I woke up in the morning I was surrounded on all sides by other vehicles, so I recommend you get there early-ish during peak travel times. Overall it is a good place to go for Huka falls and it is free.
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North Island ▷ Tairāwhiti Gisborne ▷ Wairoa ▷
Oraka Reserve, Mahia
4.5/5
A lovely grass spot along the coast.
A beautiful drive down there and a nice place to sit and watch the sunset, stars and sunrise. There are (flush) toilets and changing facilities as well as a bin. The camping area is clearly marked and there is plenty of space, while I stayed there were about 8 vehicles and there was space for double that if you are all in cars/campers and considerate of one another. Overall a lovely place to spend the night.
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North Island ▷ Tairāwhiti Gisborne ▷ Opotiki ▷
Opape Motor Camp
5.0/5
Great facilities!
Clean toilets and (hot) showers as well as a covered cooking area/kitchen complete with a fridge/freezer, electric hobs and small toaster ovens! Direct access to the beach. The owners are lovely, I hadn’t booked and they had no problem with welcoming me and even seemed apologetic that the beach was currently off limits due to Rahui and White Island. It is $15 per night (for a non powered site) I would highly recommend it.