Aaron
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Geraldine ▷
Peel Forest Campground
4.5/5
Very nice campsite, loads and loads of birds chirping all day.
Amenities are clean. I imagine in high season it can get crowded in the showers and with laundry.
The nicest camp hosts in 6 weeks camping in NZ. Kitchen facilities are good. Some hikes close by.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Twelve Mile Delta Campsite
3.5/5
Beautiful campsite.
Lots of secluded spots to park. Bad phone signal. No sandflies, very nice coming from the west coast.
Toilets are indeed a bit dirty. There is toilet paper and handsoap.
Register/payment upon arrival
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South Island ▷ Central Otago ▷ Cromwell ▷
Lowburn Harbour
4.0/5
Huge place, lots of spots.
Toilet was a bit dirty, no Toilet paper.
No sandflies, always nice coming from the west coast.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Red Bridge Reserve
4.0/5
Lots of space, lots of campers.
Felt very safe, approx 10 mins from Wanaka. Toilets are 1 minute walk from the campground. There is toilet paper, there is no running water. Be mindful of the huge pothole at the entrance.
Late evening and night no noise from the road.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Mt / Mount Aspiring Holiday Park
4.0/5
Nice place, beautiful views from the powered sites.
Can get a bit crowded on Peak moments in the showers. Outdoor pool closed in winter. Wifi worked good.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Lake Tekapo ▷
Edwards Stream
3.5/5
This was ok for a night, got a bit windy.
Toilet was clean. Just what you expect from a freedom campsite.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Fox Glacier ▷
Pine Grove Motels
4.0/5
Friendly owners.
We had a powered campervan site (there are 2). No phone reception but wifi worked well. The facilities are simple but effective: everything you need for a nice overnight stay.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Fox Glacier ▷
Gillespies Beach Campsite
2.5/5
The location is beautiful.
Beach is beautiful, view on the mountains is absolutely spectacular. Facilities are super super basic.
The sandflies are an absolute nightmare here. We stayed on the 4th of October and we were attacked by them as soon as we get out of the vehicle.
Gravel road is doable, but just drive slowly and with much attention to the road.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Cron street ▷
Franz Josef Campervan Park
4.5/5
Nice place to stay, small and cozy.
Hot showers, amenities are clean, wifi is good. Wastewater dump station on site.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Albert Town Camping Ground
2.5/5
Don't really understand why this is a paid site (10 NZD pp).
The campground is nice, I guess. There are sheltered and more open spots. There was a weird situation with a long-term tent, taped together with duct tape. Strange noises came from the tent. Maybe a homeless person of some addiction issues? Weird vibe.
Close to Wanaka is a plus of course.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Hokitika ▷
Lake Mahinapua Campsite
2.0/5
I don't know why there are so many good reviews, maybe I had bad luck.
Toilets were absolutely disgusting, worst I've seen in 3 weeks (freedom) camping. No cleaning/maintenance in winter? Yes, the spot is beautifully situated, but hard to find a somewhat leveled spot and with a lot of rain it's hard to find a spot at all because it's very muddy and there are huge potholes in the grass and you dont want to get stuck. There is no potable water tap. There is a semi-sheltered place to wash dishes.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Punakaiki ▷
Fox River Freedom Camping Area
4.5/5
Simple but nice campsite.
We didn't do any, but it seems to also be a starting point for some beautiful hikes.
Tent does have wifi, you need to be a bit closer (password: pleasecleanup).
Toilets were clean, no lights during the night. In the morning the water ran out I guess, so couldn't wash hands after toilet use.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
White Horse Hill Campground
4.0/5
This is a beautiful campground.
The mountain views are incredible. Public toilets next to the cooking shelter were quite dirty, but the other toilets on the campground were better.
Phone signal is great. Hikes from here are very nice. I imagine during summer it fills up. Now, beginning of spring it was half full I'd say. Some sandflies at sundown, not too bad. Drinking water available is a big plus. Rubbish recycling station is nice.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Haast ▷
Pleasant Flat Campsite
1.0/5
I don't understand the positive reviews.
This should be a free campground. It's just a roadside parking with some picnic tables and 4 public toilets. There is good phone signal.
Facilities are mainly used as such: passing people who need a public toilet. Toilets were absolutely disgusting. It's unbelievable the DOC asks money to stay here overnight.
Sandflies were a total nightmare... absurd
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ St Arnaud ▷
Kerr Bay Campsite
4.5/5
Nice campground, good showers, tokens to be bought in the Visitor's center.
1 token 6 minutes hit shower. Toilets could be cleaner. Semi-sheltered cooking area with a boiled water tap, very convenient!
It filled up quickly over the weekend.
Drinking water tap has a strange wide screw, not every hose will fit.
Lots of sand flies even end of September. With clear skies stargazing in the night is incredible.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Havelock ▷
Pelorus Bridge Campground
4.5/5
A nice place to stay.
To be honest, the campground for unpowered sites is much nicer (especially alongside the river) and has better facilities than the powered sites campground. Powered sites (just cross the bridge on the main road) have more privacy.
Unlimited hot showers, good water pressure. Clean toilets. Water bottle refill station next to the office. Nice walks from the campsite.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
KiwiCamp Tongariro
3.5/5
The prices changed, please update info.
Hot shower is clean and nice. Toilets were not so clean, but every morning they were cleaned. I think there is just too many people use it during the day as public toilet.
I wanted a powered site. I don't mind paying for that at all. Prices changed: 10 tokens for 24 hours. I don't like the fact that you have to pay 10 KiwiCash tokens for a "secured site" to get power. So power actually costs 20 NZD.
No kiwicamp wifi, there is district counsel wifi tho
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Huka/Aratiatia Rapids Scenic Reserve
3.5/5
Very basic campsite (but free, so what can you expect), just a parking lot.
1 public toilet with no lights, no flush, no toilet paper.
Rules around leaving camping before 9.30am a bit unclear, especially because you want to see the rapids release at 10am.
View on the lake is nice, lots of different birds to spot. Be aware of the vehicle exit, the lane at the end of the parking lot next to the trail signs: there are very deep and large holes in the road. Can cause damage to your vehicle.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Miranda ▷
Hauraki Rail Trail Terminus
4.0/5
Beautiful scenery, lots of space of the grass.
Found quite some locals camping there. Road was quiet during the night. Public toilets were smelly and dirty, shower out of service. Toilets are a 5 minute walk from the free camp grounds.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Evans Bay Marina Carpark
4.0/5
This campsite is fine for a free site, nothing fancy of course.
It's basically just a parking lot with 2 relatively clean public toilets. It's close to shops and restaurants. Even now in early spring it filled up pretty fast. Especially when a ferry gets canceled. About a 15 to 20 min drive to the ferry terminals.
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North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Mt Taranaki ▷
North Egmont Carparks
4.5/5
Quiet place with a few other freedom campers.
3 toilets next to the visitor's center, not really clean. There is a water bottle free refill station next to the entrance of the visitor's center.
Stargazing is amazing here when there are no clouds. It gets windy and cold during the night so a more sheltered spot on the lower parking area is a good idea.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua ▷
Rotorua Family Holiday Park
4.5/5
Affordable powered site (40 NZD vehicle plus 2 adults).
Guy at the reception very friendly. Amenities are clean. Wastewater dump station and potable water refill both for free. Hot showers was great.
All that you need to have a break from freedom campings. Kitchen was well equipped, for example with bread toasters, just a nice extra.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Tauranga ▷
TECT Park – Freedom Camping Site
4.5/5
Beautiful spot in the woods.
You can freedom park in the paved spots. Toilets were ok, shower looked clean and good but we didn't have a kiwicash key to pay so we didn't use them.
Free wifi was a nice bonus. There is also a bottle refill station in the wooden house near the entrance of the camping. Nice short walks possible from the camp site.