Heloise
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Whites Bay Campsite
4.5/5
A real gem of a campground!
The area for tents in front on the beach was great, only one other tent with us so it was very peaceful. Lots of campervans but they are parked on the road or in the other campsite in the bush. We loved going for a swim in the evening and having the showers and toilets so close. Cold shower only, flush toilets and a space to change clothes when you go swimming. Tap water is available but needs to be boiled. Also, lots of birds! We paid in advance online but the DOC guy is nearby if you need to book on arrival. The only "disappointment" was the glow worm cave which was absolutely impossible to find (and we searched for a long time). I don't know if we somehow managed to miss it or if it simply doesn't exist anymore?! But still, one of our favourite places to stay during our trip!
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Robin Hood Bay Campsite
4.5/5
Went there end of Feb.
with a tent, one of the free campground that allows it. There's only one toilet and no water or facilities so come prepared. There were only 2 campervans with us (and 2 very curious wekas!), it was very quiet and beautiful. Also, the place has shade and is protected from the wind, which was much appreciated!! The gravel road was not a problem with our car.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Manapouri ▷
Manapouri Motels and Holiday Park
5.0/5
Our favourite campsite in New Zealand!
It's super cosy, it's clean, it's pretty, it's quiet, it's close to the lake, it's got everything you need, we *loved* everything about it. Also, beautiful night sky!!
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Twelve Mile Delta Campsite
0.5/5
Worst campground ever, it even became a running joke throughout the rest of our trip.
15$ per person for an uneven, hard ground (horrible for a tent) and no facilities apart from 2 drop toilets. Lots of campervans turning up late at night. This kind of very basic DOC campground is usually free, but I guess this ridiculous price comes from the proximity with Queenstown. Overall looks like a huge dump, some rubbish here and there, and the sink water flows directly on the ground behind the toilet block (straight into nature, good job there DOC). Only good thing is the LOTR filming location, but you can walk there freely without spending the night, so that doesn't really count.