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McLean
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Golden Bay ▷
Motupipi Carpark
3.5/5
Really convenient location in downtown Tākaka!
Very few “legitimate” freedom camping spaces and all got taken up early but car park was still filled with vehicles nonetheless. We didn’t technically park in a legal spot but left around 6 am so not sure if it’s enforced…it’s just a carpark but fun staying in town!
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
W F Moss Scenic Reserve Picnic Area
4.0/5
A bit “rough and tumble” with some folks who are definitely posted up there longterm, but a nice enough clearing with a little stream and great access to Abel Tasman.
Fills up on weekends in the summer so try to get there before 7 pm.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Arthur's Pass ▷
Klondyke Corner Campsite
4.0/5
Positives: Wide-open space with a lot of spots and great access to hikes close to Arthur’s Pass.
Negatives: Sandflies, not especially scenic.
Overall: Solid home base for exploring the park, basic amenities with cook shelter and 2 toilets.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ St Arnaud ▷
Buller Campground
5.0/5
Wonderful campground with great facilities and convenient access to the lake and nearby hiking trails!
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin ▷
Warrington Reserve
4.5/5
Nice, open grassy area, a short walk from the beach.
Plenty of space. Rolled in at nearly 10 pm, and while a little tricky to find in the dark, easily found a spot!
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin ▷
Ocean View Reserve Carpark, Dunedin
4.5/5
Carpark with limited overnight camper-van spots but unmatched beach access!
A great place to spend a sunny beach day! Also, shower and clean toilets!
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Papatowai ▷
Papatowai Campsite
5.0/5
Wide-open grassy campground, family friendly, easy access to the beach, nice facilities, a little store, and good vibes!
Wonderful, safe, friendly spot!
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Moray Terrace
4.0/5
Pleasant and basic flat area right on the water.
A fair amount of spots but fills up. Clean restrooms and nice beach to walk on.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Cascade Creek Campsite
4.5/5
Large campsite with a lot of spots that fills up but didn’t feel crowded.
Great access to Milford and nearby hikes, clean toilets and cooking shelters, and some nice spots along the creek to park or camp.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Moke Lake Campsite
4.5/5
Wide-open field along the lake with a ton of spaces and great place near Queenstown!
Busy with a lot of cars, but didn’t feel crowded because of all of the space! Nice restrooms as well. Pay the $15/person fee as you enter or you’ll be awoken by a ranger in the morning!
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Arrowtown ▷
Crown Range Summit
4.0/5
Quiet carpark just off the road with beautiful sunset views!
Really great stop between Wanaka and Queenstown. No restrooms but nice walking trail up the hill.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
Lake Poaka Campsite
4.0/5
Quiet and secluded with lots of space!
Not the incredible views of some other spots but loved being able to spread out!
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
White Horse Hill Campground
4.5/5
Basic car park with quite a bit of space, conveniently located at Hooker Valley trailhead and near the park village.
Surrounded by incredible views of the peaks (on a clear day) and some great mossy, wooded areas to explore nearby. Great amenities—clean restrooms, shelter with picnic tables to cook and eat in and showers close to the visitor center.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
Lake Pukaki track
4.0/5
Basically a dirt/gravel car park on the edge of a lake, that can be pretty packed in next to each other, but on a clear, sunny day, the views of the mountains and lake are immaculate, swimming in the lake
is amazing and a great place for star gazing at night!
Basic camping amenities and pretty crowded, but wonderful views and had a great experience here! Most spots bordering the lake filled up soon after 5 pm but lots of other space.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Arrowtown ▷
Kawarau Historic Bridge Carparks
3.5/5
Pretty much just a car park but not a bad spot for a night.
Positives: Dramatic views of the gorge and river, bridge is awesome, and watching the bungee jumpers in the morning is fun!
Negatives: As I said, it’s just a carpark and campervan spots filled up by evening and restrooms closed by 5 pm (though if you’re self contained it shouldn’t really matter).
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Raspberry Flat Carpark
5.0/5
One of our favorite campgrounds!
So quiet and secluded with plenty of space and beautiful views of Aspiring and the surrounding valley! The carpark is right at the trailhead of Rob Roy track (worth doing!) so it has great access to trails and nice restrooms. Road in is long (1-1.5 hours) and bumpy with deepish puddles to ford so maybe not ideal for a rental van, but we managed.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Kidds Bush Reserve Campsite
4.5/5
Wide open campsite with tons of space to spread out and RIGHT on the lake for unmatched access!
Parking spots both in a covered forested area as well as on the beach. Only negatives: pretty crowded and only porta potties for restrooms (which were closed), but at least they were nice and plenty of them!