Lucy
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Pokaka Mill Campsite
0.5/5
DON'T go there.
Seriously. The dirt road is in incredibly bad condition, lots of wide & deep potholes, deep ditches and long stretches of washed out areas. High risk of getting stuck when muddy from rain.
It takes ages to get to the campsite and extremely careful and attentive driving.
When we finally made it, the site was not accessible due to huge & deep waterholes in the road. Campsite had a very eerie sort of atmosphere, we did not feel comfortable there. We turned around and left.
Go to KiwiCamp in National Park Village instead. It's free as long as you don't need power & has great facilities.
The Okupata caves on the way to the campsite are not worth it, either, btw. Very difficult to find. Don't trust the location shown on Google. Keep going further along the road until you see the sign saying the cave is 5 min away. The cave sits directly in the river bed with water streaming down the entrance. At least we think that was the entrance, there was no sign.
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North Island ▷ Manawatu - Wanganui ▷ Woodville ▷
Woodville Ferry Reserve
4.5/5
Very tranquil, extremely spacious & spread out campsite.
You can park directly on the grass wherever you like. Pic nick tables, rubbish bins & 3 toilets available. Toilet is a long drop loo and was a bit smelly & not the cleanest when we were there, but it was still fine. Had worse. Took a swim in the river in the morning & did the Manawatū Gorge Track from there during the day.
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North Island ▷ Wairarapa ▷ Masterton ▷
Henley Lake Freedom Camping
5.0/5
Great place!
Free shower is always appreciated!! Contrary to other reviews, our shower was really hot. Maybe it depends on the weather since it was hot outside when we were there, too. Very spacious area to park. Lots of ducks & geese, pic nic tables, trees and grass, rubbish bin. Toilets were clean, they close at night. Some people seem to be living here more permantently, but no problem.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Hamurana ▷
Trout Pools Reserve
1.0/5
We left immediatly after having a look at this place.
It is a very spacious carpark (no shade) surrounded by beautiful bush. The Okere Falls and caves are worth visiting. However, the carpark is used by a rafting company to pick up boats and guests after their tour on the river, so it is extremely busy with buses, trailers and people the whole time.
Also, I don't know why people assume this is an official freedom campsite, because we saw no signs allowing camping. In fact, the only sign we saw actually forbid camping. But since people have apparantly stayed there without trouble, maybe it's ok, I don't know. Maybe it's not too bad to spend a night there after the rafting company is done and people are gone, but not if you arrive during the day and want some peace and quiet.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Waihi ▷
Brighton Reserve
4.0/5
Carpark by the beach with four marked spaces for self contained vehicles.
There is a playground directly in front of the spaces, but when we spent a night there, the few kids playing didn't bother us at all. The toilets are ok, and there is a water fountain with drinking water as well as trash cans and picknick benches on site. The beach is just a few meters away with lovely white sand. Good for a little stroll!