ellie
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North Island ▷ Manawatu - Wanganui ▷ Palmerston North ▷
Scotts Ferry Camping Ground
4.0/5
Quiet and simple place, just flat grass.
I thought there would be a crossing somewhere to the south side of the river but nope…haha
I was one of two folks here in late April ‘23. Shortly after I arrived around 5pm the owner came by and welcomed me and took my $$.
Tried walking to the beach from the campsite but it gets really rough and I didn’t make it. I did see some cute cows though.
However I caught an amazing sunset by driving to the beach at the end of the road. Much easier, and there’s a wetlands reserve to see some cool birds.
Apparently a local man goes on his Morning walk with a pet/friend goose past the campsite, very sorry to miss that.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Hanmer Springs ▷
Hanmer Springs River Reserve, Hanmer Springs
2.5/5
Lovely view, river, and fall colors.
Enjoy it from inside the vehicle because holy shit the sandflies are swarming here.
I arrived around 16:30 on a Tuesday and was the 9th one here.
May 2023.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Havelock ▷
Smiths Farm Holiday Park
5.0/5
I went here due to the road up to Mistletoe Bay being shut down due to severe damage.
Glad I did! The folks running the place were so friendly and helpful. Facilities super clean and plenty of toilets and shower. The glow worm hike was incredibly cool and I was happy to make some friends while wandering around in the dark forest (definitely a better experience with some company). Highly recommend.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Mistletoe Bay Eco Village Campground
1.5/5
Super annoying, the road is completely closed to Mistletoe Bay due to damage (therefore no access to the public) and there’s no mention of that here.
I also called in advance to this campsite to try and register in advance and their voicemail also doesn’t say it’s closed, nor did they ever call me back.
May 1 2023.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Turangi ▷
Waikoko Campsite
4.0/5
Gravely lot with lots of space, easily like 20 vehicles could fit in here.
On my visit there were 6 or 7 neighbors.
It’s fine here, but I wish I explored the other sites more before settling down at this one. The tree trunk gorge site looked a bit nicer.
No access or visibility to the big waterfall that I could find :( also never saw the actual Pillars, I’m not the only one who was confused by that either.
Rather chilly night in late April 2023, bring a sleeping bag!
Confused as to why somebody took a sh*t down the hill from my spot when there’s a toilet 50m away.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Tairua ▷
Paku Drive, Tairua
4.5/5
I liked this spot a lot, interesting landscape.
Easy access to the Mt Paku hike for sunset and a lovely ocean beach is a short drive away. I had a great morning swim there.
Small lot, I got the 2nd to last spot at 16:45 on the eve of Anzac Day.
Toilets very clean 🙌
Wardens checked our certs, watch out.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Miranda ▷
Rays Rest Camping Reserve
3.5/5
The wind kept me up all night, noisy and shaking my van.
It’s free though so…
Woke up to see spoonbills and other shorebirds wading out at the beach, that was very cool.
Plenty of room here even after dark on a weekend.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Evans Bay Marina Carpark
4.5/5
Felt a bit like a sardine in my van amongst all the other vans, but I had a surprisingly good night of sleep here.
The road noise didn’t bother me at all and the airport thankfully seems to be closed overnight.
It’s a nice little hike up to Hataitai for a nice meal or morning cafe, and I continued my walk into the city through Mt Victoria which was a really pleasant experience.
Can’t ask for much more from a free place to sleep legally in a major city. Maybe one more bathroom since there are so many folks staying here, especially families.
I arrived around 16:45 on a Friday in late April and got one of the last open spots.