Angry, racist and possibly sexist permanent stays create an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe environment for travellers.

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Went here during a bikepacking trip. The place has come under new ownership in the past couple of years and us now known as the Tapawera Cycle Trail Campground.

The owner seemed nice, but there are several long term stays with serious issues which make the camp unwelcoming and potentially unsafe for some.

These included a young man with serious anger management issues who made comments like "I could kill someone right now" in order to vent his anger.

Another man told me he left Auckland because he was racist, and talked about how happy he was to not have seen any Asian people since arriving in Tapawera.

Another man joked about tagging swastikas everywhere and used the N word despite being white.

Was told that most of the men had partners, I felt uneasy about the dynamic to the point where I left an ad for women's refuge on the pinboard.

The cherry on top was a chained up dog which was in dire need of some attention and kept howling.

It's a real shame because it is a useful in-between location when cycling but if you don't have a vehicle to get to another town, please consider forking out a bit more for the hotel if you need to stop in Tapawera.

Reviewed over 2 years ago