Peter
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Tuatapere ▷
Thicket Burn Campsite
3.5/5
Lovely field to camp in, toilets and bbq sites/ picnic tables.
Docked points because so many sandflies throughout the day/ night. Couldn’t be outside the van even with long clothes on and bug spray. Down a long gravel road and easy to find.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Arrowtown ▷
Crown Range Summit
5.0/5
Stunning view of the valley into Queenstown, one of the best sunsets we saw.
Plenty of space with a view when we arrived at 5 and were one of the first there. Lots of space even if you don’t get there until late though. No facilities so self contained only.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Hokitika ▷
Whataroa Gorge
4.5/5
Great spot, not the easiest to get to but trust the directions and the road.
Room for about 10-15 vans. If the river is low enough you can walk on the bed and take some stunning pictures of sunsets over the mountains. One of the locals did say to be wary of the river levels so if it’s rained or in winter be careful and ready to evacuate if necessary. Lost a mark because so many sandflies.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Greymouth ▷
Cobden Beachfront, Greymouth
4.0/5
Would be a higher review but the decent parking spots were taken at 4pm when we arrived, and people were parked badly to artificially create more space for themselves.
Decent toilets and good view of the sunset.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Owhiro Bay Overnight Campervan Parking
5.0/5
Beautiful spot just outside Wellington.
Not lots of spaces, but some free up when cars leave. Lovely view of the sea and an easy drive to the ferry.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Mavora Lakes Campsite
4.5/5
Beautiful area to camp.
You’ll be lucky if you get a decent spot by tables and a bbq though. We found a quiet spot by the lake though and had a great night. We planned to stay for 2 nights however a truck with a large family arrived at about 9am the next morning and started unloading a quad bike, dirt bike, speakers, crates of beer and playing heavy metal early in the morning. Not our scene and they parked literally 15ft away from us when there was so much other space. Moral of the story is don’t go on a weekend in summer and pay for one night at a time in case you want to move on.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga ▷
Omara Boat Ramp Reserve
4.5/5
Great campsite by the water, basic toilets but clean.
Only space for 6/7 campers though, so when we arrived at about 5pm it was almost full. A warden came around and said we needed to be within the two signs and if we could squeeze our front end into a small gap she’d let us stay, but after she’d left loads of other vans turned up and just parked anywhere which is a shame as it’s not in the spirit of responsible camping.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Tukino 2wd Carpark
5.0/5
Beautiful location with stunning views of the mountains, very weather dependent though.
The entrance off the main road comes up very quickly so keep a sharp eye out. 6-7km up a gravel road, keep going until you cross a stream and then keep going further until you see the sign in the picture. No facilities so you need a self contained van but worth it for peace and silence away from roads and other people.
Feels a bit like another world, could be on the surface of the moon!
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Cron street ▷
Rainforest Retreat
5.0/5
Great campsite, we had a powered site which was quite secluded.
Access to the shared jacuzzi included. Decent bbq area but needs to have better cleaning equipment. Toilets and showers fantastic, free to use hair dryers and straighteners in the female ones. We didn’t book as hadn’t planned to stay but our hike was cancelled and they had space.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Manapouri ▷
South Arm Campsite (Lake Manapouri)
0.5/5
Would give it 0 if I could.
We got to a certain point and there was a sign saying you can’t go down the road towards the campsite unless you have a 4x4. It should be there sooner to stop you wasting your time. Don’t bother going.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
W F Moss Scenic Reserve Picnic Area
3.5/5
Great camping spot, plenty of space at 5/6pm and able to have a dip in the river.
Also a swimming spot 2km further down the road.
Our experience was really put off with a group of locals who played ridiculously loud rave music ALL. NIGHT. LONG. They were still going in the morning when we left. Literally slept about an hour. Planned on staying 2 nights but couldn’t risk another night without sleep.
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Featherston ▷
Lake Domain Reserve
5.0/5
Fantastic location.
Plenty of space at 6pm with great view of the lake. Ok toilets.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Matamata ▷
Opal Hot Springs Holiday Park
4.0/5
$40 for a powered site, decent toilets and kitchen block but only 2 showers per gender so gets busy.
Campervan spots relatively squished together so not much privacy. Very convenient for Hobbiton.
Pool is nice and the warm pools are a good feature but WiFi is extra.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Huka/Aratiatia Rapids Scenic Reserve
4.5/5
Quiet flat car park at the start of a lovely walk.
Got there late at night and only one other van there. Perfect for a self contained van.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo ▷
Roselands Waitomo Caves
4.5/5
Fantastic food, great location after the glow worm caves.
Camping was in the car park but free and the staff were really friendly. They said we could park down the drive on a flatter bit if we couldn’t find a good spot, and it did get busy later on.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Alexander Bluff Road Reserve, Ngatimoti
4.0/5
Arrived at around 8pm, plenty of space.
Very chilled and hippy-ish area. Bins and long drop toilet.