Basil
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Kingston ▷
Kingston Lake Camp
4.0/5
Nice place on a hillside right beside the lake and only about half an hour from Queenstown.
I came late and left early though, so didn't really get to experience the gorgeous views until driving back through this area a few days later. The toilets I used were pretty rank though. Drop toilets, so smelly as usual, but these ones were also teeming with sandflies. Having said that, I'd still recommend this place if you're on a budget.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Haast ▷
Lake Paringa Campsite
4.5/5
Gorgeous little spot right beside the lake!
There was just me and a couple other vans when I came in May, so it was nice and quiet. No phone signal but I expected that for somewhere so remote. Toilets were nice as well, and for a site that's on a lakeside and in this region I was expecting sandfly central but there really weren't many at all.
I was woken up by Kea pecking on my roof a few times throughout the night which was a little spooky, but the DOC did warn me via email that they'd be there a few days before and that they are a very inquisitive bunch. Didn't get to see any of them though since they'd vanished by morning.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Lumsden ▷
Lumsden Information Centre
5.0/5
For a free camping spot this place was excellent!
I didn't explore much or stay long but Lumsden seems like a nice little town. There's several carparks you can stay in, all around the central playground and old train station, and so loads of space overall. The toilets were really clean and despite being in the centre of town and right by the main road it wasn't really noisy overnight.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Milford Sound - Fiordland National Park ▷
Milford Sound Lodge – Rainforest Campervan Park
5.0/5
Absolutely love this place!
The drive up here from Te Anau and nearby cruise (I did Southern Discoveries' wildlife one) around Milford Sound were incredible.
The campervan site itself is a really cute little maze of gravel spaces in the jungly landscape with incredible views all around, and there's a nice little lodge nearby with a big lounge, kitchen, laundry, and about a dozen toilets and showers. Was a little busy when I came in May, but it was also pouring down the whole time so no wonder everyone wanted to hang out inside.
No phone signal (on Spark at least) but they had wifi, although with heavy rain it was on and off the whole time. I didn't go to the restaurant but the cafe was nice and didn't seem overpriced like I thought it would be.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Margaret Griffen park, Mt Roskill
4.0/5
Nice big carpark right next to the park with decent toilets nearby.
It was busy when I got here at 6ish but then most people cleared out by 9 and there were only half a dozen or so other vans here overnight so it felt pretty quiet. Despite being in the city it wasn't really loud or bright at night. Got woken up by roosters at about 4am though, and from then on the little bastards wouldn't shut up...
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Ohakune ▷
Mangawhero Campsite
4.5/5
Cute little cul-de-sac for campervans and a separate area for tents.
No privacy but plenty of space for everyone and a picnic table in the middle. Toilets are okay - clean enough but, like all other drop toilets, very smelly.
Location is great! Only about half an hour from National Park but there's also great views and some nice walks if you keep heading up Ohakune Mountain Road. Ohakune itself is also just a few mins down the road and it's a lovely little town.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Hokitika ▷
KiwiCamp Hokitika
3.0/5
Like all other KiwiCamps, it's nice and clean, as well as convenient and easy to use with the tags.
You have to pay individually for showers and laundry, which is fine, but then there's a $20 fee just to park here overnight, which is way more than it's worth given that many freedom camping spots I've been to are as nice if not nicer. Since this was also sandwiched between a couple of garages on the main road, it was very bright and a little loud all night (although luckily for me the rain mostly drowned it out). At least I had good phone signal here.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Paraparaumu ▷
Garden Rd Carpark
3.5/5
Stayed here on a Saturday night and so noise from the restaurant kept me up a little late.
It was also quite bright all night. Unfortunately got here after dark so I didn't get to see the sunset, but still saw gorgeous views in the morning. Overall a nice freedom camping spot with decent toilets nearby.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Richmond ▷
Fittal Street, Richmond
4.0/5
Very convenient little carpark with a couple clean toilets, a dump station, and a water tap.
At full capacity it felt quite cramped though, and being in this industrial area meant it was a little noisy and very bright at night.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Havelock ▷
Pelorus Bridge Campground
3.5/5
I got here after dark and left well before dawn to catch the ferry north, so can't comment much, but it seemed pretty nice.
Powered site seemed a little small but thankfully there were just a couple other vans there when I came in May. The toilets were fine and the shower was nice and hot. Would love to come back when it's warmer and spend some time hiking the nearby tracks.
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South Island ▷ Central Otago ▷ Cromwell ▷
Lowburn Harbour
4.0/5
There's sooooo much space here.
I came in May and there were probably a couple dozen other vans but it still felt fairly empty. Nice views across the lake. Toilets were decent but a bit smelly. And being right beside the main road it was a little loud throughout the night.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Punakaiki ▷
Fox River Freedom Camping Area
4.5/5
Got here a little late and left early, and it was raining the whole time so I didn't get to explore the nearby beaches or hiking tracks, but it's a nice spacious carpark in what seemed like a gorgeous
area. Toilets were pretty clean and there weren't nearly as many sandflies as I expected. I also just about had phone signal with it jumping between 1 and 0 bars.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Port Motueka Beach Reserve
4.5/5
Really nice free camping spot!
It's not really a large carpark but there's designated spaces with small barriers in between and so it didn't feel too cramped. Toilets were clean and there's a nice seaside walk nearby. Not too far from Abel Tasman NP so it was great staying here the night before my l daytrip up there.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Glenorchy ▷
Sylvan Campsite
4.5/5
Really liked this spot!
The drive up here from Queenstown was absolutely gorgeous the whole way, and so were views from the campsite. And the road wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be. I also had decent phone signal here which was a pelasant surprise. There's plenty of spaces for both campervans and tents, and a decent amount of privacy in between most of them. I didn't have time for any of the nearby hikes but I'm sure they would have been brilliant as well. The only downside is the smelly toilets.
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Mt Taranaki ▷
Stratford Plateau Carparks
5.0/5
One of my favourites so far!
It was cloudy and raining the day I got there so I didn't see Mt Taranaki at all on the drive, but when the clouds lifted in the evening I was completely blown away. Absolutely stunning views of the mountain itself and countryside below. The drive up there was gorgeous too, and so were the nearby tracks through the jungly mountainside.
Night sky was amazing. I was only a few days into my NZ trip at this point but got my first faint glimpse of the Milky Way. And then the next morning I saw the most beautiful sunrise with clouds spread out below us across the countryside and a clear view of Tongariro National Park in the distance.
The carpark itself is pretty massive, it felt really empty with at least half a dozen other campervans there. Toilets were okay, not great but I've seen worse. Overall I'd highly recommend this place if you're going to this (seemingly underrated) part of North Island.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Mangahuia Campsite
4.0/5
Got there late and left early so I don't have a lot to say, but overall seemed like a nice site in a really great location.
Most spots are surrounded by trees/bushes so while there's not a huge amount of space, there's a lot of privacy here compared to other places I've been. Toilet wasn't dirty but smelled rancid, although that seems to be standard for these non-flush huts that DOC use.
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Carterton ▷
Waiohine Gorge Campsite
4.0/5
Nice place with a decent amount of space across several secluded areas, giving plenty of privacy.
Toilets were fine, not particularly clean but I'll take that over stinky drop toilets any day. I came here in late April and it was pretty much empty, although with lots of rain recently (and overnight for me) the campsite was flooded in some areas.
Very scenic drive to get there, although it's a long gravel road that's fairly steep in some parts. There's also no phone signal from about as soon as you enter the valley (at least, on Spark). Still, would recommend if you're well prepared!
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
White Horse Hill Campground
5.0/5
Lovely place, but very busy when I came in late April so I can't imagine what it's like in Summer.
There's a lot here for just a 'standard' DOC site - loads of parking spaces, plenty of grass for tents, and plenty of picnic tables. The toilets were quite clean as well.
But let's be honest, the real reason you're coming here is for the views. And boy oh boy is it worth it! Driving up Lake Pukaki with Aoraki growing bigger and bigger was incredible. I'd also highly recommend an early morning hike up to Hooker lake. I left before dawn, got to the glacier just before sunrise and then had the whole place to myself (almost). It was an amazing experience!
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Owhiro Bay Overnight Campervan Parking
5.0/5
For freedom camping, this place is brilliant!
Gorgeous scenery, nice and clean toilets, and not too far from downtown (very convenient if you're catching an early or late ferry!). It gets very busy though - during my late April stay there were already a few vans when I got there at 4ish and it was full by 5ish. There's also no privacy at all, but since this is essentially just a carpark I expected that.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Geraldine ▷
Peel Forest Campground
4.5/5
Lovely campsite with lovely hosts!
It was fairly quiet when I was there in late April, but there's plenty of space and some secluded areas so I reckon even in peak season it wouldn't feel too busy. The facilities were great - clean toilets and good showers, plus a nice big kitchen (as well as $5 laundry which I didn't use). There's also a handful of scenic walks nearby.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Tokoroa ▷
Arohena Campsite
4.5/5
Gorgeous spot on the river.
Plenty of space but it was almost empty when I went in mid-April. Weather was still nice and warm and the toilets were nice and clean. A bit buggy in the evening though. And be prepared for a long drive down the gravel track with some fairly steep and bumpy sections towards the end.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Lake Tekapo ▷
Edwards Stream
4.5/5
Nice spot that's just a few mins down the road from Lake Tekapo.
Toilets were fine and there's a good amount of space for a dozen or so campervans. Despite being right off the main road, it wasn't too loud, although I did get there very late and leave early in the morning. And since this is a little outside the town but still within the dark sky reserve, it's brilliant for stargazing!
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South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷ Kaikoura ▷
South End Railway Station Carpark, Kaikoura
5.0/5
Lovely little freedom camping spot right on the seaside!
No privacy but that's expected for something like this (it's literally just a carpark). Town centre with some nice restaurants, shops, and clean public toilets is just a couple mins walk away. And the views in all directions are spectacular! Make sure you wake up at least half an hour before sunrise for the best experience.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Tokoroa ▷
Ngaherenga Campsite
3.5/5
Overall this was a nice spot with a mix of a big open spaces and smaller secluded areas.
Only 1 toilet though and it wasn't very clean. There's a gravel track off the main road to get there but it's an easy drive.
Can't comment a lot on the area or nearby tracks cos I got there fairly late and it was pouring down until I left the next morning. Seemed really nice though. I would have loved to come on a warm, sunny day instead.