Genevieve
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Owaka ▷
Catlins Newhaven Holiday Park
5.0/5
What an amazing spot… Deborah and Grant are the best hosts and take great care to ensure guests have a phenomenal stay.
I intended to stay only one night but ended up staying for 3 in a powered site. Be sure to grab a coffee from the neighbor and wander out to the beach at low tide to see the sea lions. All facilities very clean, good wifi, and a beautiful spot.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Lyttelton ▷
Orton Bradley Park Camping
5.0/5
What a hidden gem!
Such a beautiful property with heaps of space to spread out. Clean bathrooms, a space for washing dishes, and a dump station. Lots of walking tracks that were well marked and gorgeous. Limited cell reception. Only one other camper when I was there beginning of Nov.
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Hawera ▷
Rotokare Scenic Reserve
5.0/5
What a stunning, serene location!
Went out of my way to stay here per the recommendation of a council member at another freedom camping spot and was very glad that I did. Wish I could’ve stayed another night or two! Highly recommend doing both the ridge track and the lake walk; beautiful views and so much wildlife to see and hear. Cold outdoor shower available and toilets open all night (clean and well lit!). Suggested $10pp donation which I happily left for such a gorgeous place to stay. Hopefully people continue to follow the guidelines to keep places like this open!
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ New Plymouth ▷
Lake Rotomanu, New Plymouth
4.0/5
Very busy on a Friday night, but heaps of space for CSC.
Lots of vans arriving after dark and filling in the gaps, but still seemed to be ample amount of space between people which was appreciated. Toilets were surprisingly clean but no light for after hours use. Lovely sunset and sunrise!
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Mt Taranaki ▷
North Egmont Carparks
5.0/5
Lovely spot esp.
if you’re wanting to do some hikes that leave from here. Recommend walking up the Holly hut track to the lookout for a great view of Taranaki, if nothing else. About 1.5h return or less. Woman working at the visitor center was very kind and helpful with recommendations. She said CSC vehicles ok anywhere in lower car park. Few vans showed up late and parked as close as possible to others even though there were plenty of free spots, but to be fair there wasn’t much signage on where it was ok to park. Bathrooms clean, well lit, and open all night. Drinking water available too at a fountain with spout for bottle fill. No cafe here anymore!
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Patea ▷
Wairoa Reserve
5.0/5
Shared this spot with one other camper on a Wednesday in April.
Lovely spot with toilet + shower just a quick walk away. Epic sunset and sunrise here and it was amazing to fall asleep to the sound of the ocean. Two options for CSC campers — one a grassy area with room for 3 and the other a gravel lot closer to the beach with room for 3 (per council regulations). Someone from council showed up in the evening to hand out pamphlet on freedom camping in South Taranaki as well as check certifications. Highly recommend!!
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Danby Field
4.0/5
Very solid free spot and a perfect location to stay the night before hiking the Pinnacles.
Parking in a car park between signs with a nice grassy area behind the spots. Public toilets ~300m away at the park (one is left open 24h) as well as drinking water. Intended to stay at the Brown St freedom camping spot just north but the toilets were farther away and closed at night. Decent amount of car traffic through the night on the street so if you’re sensitive to noise or headlights may not be the most ideal spot.
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4.5/5
Great spot with plenty of room for quite a few vehicles.
Smaller section for non CSC vehicles, so would recommend parking in one of the other spots if you’re self contained 😄 clean toilets with a light and open at night. Quite a bit of activity next door at the boat club in the evening and next morning.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga ▷
Omara Boat Ramp Reserve
5.0/5
Lovely and clean spot to stay.
Parking is between signs on a flat, grassy area. Bathroom open all night but had no lights so make sure you bring your torch. Someone from council came by around 8am to check that everyone was CSC and hand out maps with other camp sites, dump stations etc. Nice guy and many thanks to the district for providing free places like this to stay 😊
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei ▷
Wellingtons Bay, Main Reserve (Whangaumu Reserve)
5.0/5
Such an awesome free camping spot!
Was lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves and woke up to an incredible sunrise. The toilets were very close to the permitted camping area, had lights for when it was dark, and were as clean as you can expect from public toilets! Great 4G reception too and not much car traffic overnight. A few people who weren’t respecting the camper size restrictions or area restrictions, which is a bummer because it’s people like that who may get amazing free camp spots like this taken away.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Paihia ▷
Waterfalls Estate
5.0/5
Awesome campground and great value for the price in my opinion!
Bathroom, laundry facilities, and kitchen were all very clean. Only a few other campers on a weekday when I was there. Spots 23-30 or so are closest to the water and the best sites! New owners since Dec 2022 and Michael was great. Definitely take advantage of the kayaks!
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North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Napier ▷
BMX Pump Track Carpark, Marine Parade
4.0/5
Solid spot for a first-time overnight in a campervan.
Very close to town for the supermarket etc. and walking distance to a lot of shops, cafes, and things to do. Decent toilets, dump station, and drinking water all available. Arrived at 1930 with still plenty of spots, though it did fill up overnight. If you’re a sensitive sleeper, be aware that there is a bit of noise from the road and the train tracks throughout the night.
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North Island ▷ Hawkes Bay ▷ Te Awanga ▷
Clifton Road Reserve
5.0/5
Amazing place to stay!
Arrived around 1300 and found a spot right on the beach nestled between some trees. Though there were lots of other campers, it felt private and was quiet throughout the night. Toilets are clean but would recommend bringing your own toilet paper (both bathrooms ran out during my 24hr stay) and hand soap (none in the bathrooms). Doesn’t appear to be a physical donation box any more, but donations can be made through CamperMate :)