Lana Hantzsch
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Ngawi ▷
Putangirua Pinnacles Campsite
4.0/5
A peaceful spot with a view of the water and the cliffside.
Lots of space to pull in on the gravel or grass, with an honesty box to pay. Two flush toilets with a sink, a bit unkempt but perfectly usable. No drinking water available.
Convenient spot to leave early for the pinnacles hike straight from the campground before other people arrive.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
KiwiCamp Tongariro
4.5/5
A great spot to stay with all the amenities you might need while traveling.
Parking lot is huge (you can go to the right side unsecure parking lot for free, or pay to be in the smaller secure parking lot with power through the gate). Bathrooms were clean, shower pressure was great, washer/dryer were easy to use, and there were multiple cooking stations and community sinks. Dump station and potable water fill up are right at the entrance. If you plan to do the Tongariro alpine crossing, most of the shuttle companies pick up right in that parking lot which is very convenient. Not secluded, but there’s a great view of the surrounding mountains, and we saw a rainbow every day we were there!
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Greymouth ▷
Iveagh Bay
4.0/5
Pretty quiet spot near a lake.
Space for 10 vehicles in the furthest lot. They check that everyone has a Self-contained sticker on their vehicle, and we saw a couple folks be asked to leave because they were not self contained. We got the last spot and pulled in around 7:30pm on a Saturday.
Plenty of sandflies, but there were clean flush toilets with a sink and soap (no light, so remember a head torch), but no drinking water or dumping areas. Overall very nice spot for a free stay (there is a donation box there if you want to contribute to maintenance!).
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Otorohanga ▷
Lake Ngaroto
3.5/5
Decent place to stay for a free night.
Plenty of space in the gravel and grass to park, but bathrooms are a bit of a walk and there is no running water. A bit buggy, but was a peaceful spot right next to the lake.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Springfield ▷
Kowai Pass Domain Camping Ground
5.0/5
A lovely camping area that is very clean and well maintained.
The camp hosts are so friendly! There is drinking water, coin operated laundry, a communal kitchen (with a tap, microwave, and tea kettle), coin operated showers (hot water and good water pressure), and spotlessly clean flush toilets. The host was kindly willing to change out paper money for coins to operate the amenities for us.
It was a luxury experience after some of the DOC sites we had been staying at, and all for a great price ($11 per person, cash only).