We were pleasantly surprised here.

Although it's basic, it is quiet (surprisingly), with reasonable facilities. It is expensive, but this is near to a city centre and extremely convenient for the ferry terminals. These is a nice bar where bar snacks (good quality ones) are available, as well as a more formal restaurant. You can sit comfortably with a drink, read the free papers they supply, watch TV and eat a bit. For travellers passing through, it's pretty well perfect.

Reviewed about 13 years ago

Extensive gardens, relatively new so some of the planting still needs to fill out.

Well signposted with informative signboards. Good selection of New Zealand flora and shrubs, as well as some from other places - we liked the African section. Good quality leaflet to help guide yourself around. Free ! Pity the café & info centre close at 4pm, although the gardens stay open till 8pm

Reviewed about 13 years ago

In a boating & fishing resort near a little island ferry pier.

Quiet, next to the beach, good for seaside walks, quirky buildings (go to visit to find out !), expensive internet connection, nice BBQ area

Reviewed about 13 years ago

A great place, convenient for downtown Auckland by a not-too-long bus ride, and for the good local shops, cafés and public library.

Extremely nice, friendly and helpful staff. Not too much space, but this is in a big city area. Clean, tidy and reasonably well lit.

Reviewed about 13 years ago

Interesting place and well done, but as others have also said it is much too expensive.

Also, I know they pay their taxes, but why let in New Zealanders for free when foreigners have to pay ? Not many such places in other countries do that. There are too many staff who seem to spend time chatting and joking with one another instead of attending to visitors.

Reviewed about 13 years ago

nice tidy place, a bit expensive but the discount voucher for the hot pools makes it worthwhile.

Although next to a main road, we were not disturbed by noise.

Reviewed about 13 years ago

a reasonably OK site, if a bit crowded, but far too expensive in comparison with Top 10 parks elsewhere

Reviewed about 13 years ago

A large, well appointed site with great views.

A short walk from the town and beach, as well as from the other beach on the south side of the isthmus. A touch expensive though.

Reviewed about 13 years ago

We used the camper van park attached to the lodge.

Nice friendly people, very conveniently a short walk from the village centre but nevertheless quiet. Slightly old fashioned kitchen a bit inconveniently located in the far corner of the site but overall a fine place to stay.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

Relatively expensive - why ?

The site is clean enough but as other reviewers have pointed out, it lies between a road (not that busy, but nevertheless with some traffic) and a railway along which a noisy train occasionally rumbles, and the facilities aren't that good for the number of campers. Still, the walk through the local park/botanic garden into the town is pleasant

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

A cheerless place.

Poorly lit. The main building was freezing cold despite there being a stove (which wasn't lit for long). The metal showers and toilets had a prison-camp feeling. Not that cheap, for what it was.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

Saw lots of seals here - families, babies, big daddies - and, 200 metres or so out at sea, a few orca who were diving and showing their flukes.

We were anxious for the seals, but that's nature in the raw.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

pleasant grassy semi-private hedged site areas, good facilities, and there are nice walks either to and along the ocean beach, or along the estuary right by the site

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

This was the most disappointing place we visited in NZ.

They have really lost the plot. 5 of the ‘spacious avaiaries’ were empty (signs on them saying so), and only 3 therefore contained birds. One of them had birds that are scarcely endangered – red crowned parakeets. There were 2 poor kiwis kept in night cages. The maintenance of the site was a bit lacking too. We reckoned that we each paid $20 for a shortish bush walk which we’d had for free, and better, in many other places.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

Noisy, crowded,expensive, poorly lit with a dirty kitchen (blamed by the site on other campers, but most other sites manage somehow to keep their kitchens clean).

Next door to an industrial estate where lorry and machinery activity starts noisily in the early morning.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

A well maintained and interesting little walk.

The visitor centre cum café will tell you what to look out for, and serve you refreshments on your return.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

lovely little walk, nice bridge to cross, and like almost everywhere else the walk was excellently maintained.

The pools were very blue.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

This is a smaller operation than its main rival, with smaller boats and a nice intimate connection between the crew and the guests.

It was also significantly cheaper when we went. (Even so, the price is indeed high). We had a great full day out, starting in warm sunshine in Manapouri, going through falling snow on the Wilmot Pass, and experiencing rain, drizzle and mist on the Sound. Nigel, the part owner, is a mine of interesting information. A highlight of our tour to New Zealand.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

Nice site with friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Our only negative was that the laundry was a bit more expensive than other places we'd been to.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

A wonderful peaceful site, a hop and a step from the beautiful beach (full of fishers for whitebait in late September), and a short walk from the excellent kiwi tour hq.

The showers are hot, the kitchen is basic but absolutely adequate. A DOC lady (of Canadian origin) came by when we were there - perhaps to check that we'd paid - to do a bit of site maintenance and she was an interesting fund of local knowledge. The site was clean, tidy and well-kept.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011

an interesting museum with good exhibits, giving information about Southland.

Some art works too, but these are of moderate interest. The baby tuataras are worth seeing. In the entrance hall there are computers with internet access.

Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in September 2011