Andrew Potratz
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei ▷
Uretiti Beach Campsite
5.0/5
Cleanest toilets I came across while camping in NZ, bar none.
Plus, they had taps all over the camping ground with fresh water, which isn't as common as you'd think. There wasn't a ton of privacy, but I was there when it was fairly busy. The beach is definitely worth spending some time at, and it's only a five minute walk from the site. Highest recommendation.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Tapotupotu Campsite
5.0/5
Smallish access road seemed a bit tricky to navigate, but I came at a time of day when the sun was in my eyes, which didn't help.
Great campsite, with plenty of space (though it was crowded in late April, probably worse during summer), and clean toilets aplenty. I highly recommend taking some of the trails in, as well as relaxing on the beach (there's a gnarly twisted tree right near the beach that's great for a good sit).
I didn't experience any problems with insects over ANZAC Day, but I've heard it's a hassle other times.
It's a five minute drive to Cape Reinga, so it's a great location. I arrived late and went to the cape early the next morning before anybody else had shown up. Breathtaking. Highly recommend.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Motueka ▷
Hawkes Lookout Carpark
4.5/5
Small carpark off the main road with a toilet just next to the trail leading out to the lookout.
Great place to stay for free if you've got a campervan. We used our torches to go out to the lookout late at night and stargaze, which was fairly lovely, though it probably wasn't the safest or smartest thing to do.
When we were there, the door on the toilet was broken, though I imagine that's been fixed by now. Otherwise, I'd give this a perfect 10/10. Amazing view.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Owaka ▷
Hillview Camping Stay
5.0/5
They could charge way more for this place.
I'm pretty sure they keep the prices so low simply out of the goodness in their hearts. I know it's just a campsite, but places like this restore my faith in humanity just a little bit. The owners are friendly and quite funny. We'd been camping for several weeks, and this was a great stop to rest and recharge. Good as gold.
What a great thing to say about us and we care about the campers and when we get feed back like yours and from other campers it really makes it all worth while,
even this morning we got a great card from 4 campers and a box of chocolate's this is fantastic
many thanks for your feed back Kevin Sue
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Albert Town Camping Ground
4.5/5
Cheap, basic campsite with clean toilets, including a block of flush ones, which is great.
Beautiful views, very quiet, right next to a bike trail. Short drive into Wanaka. Quite big, too, which is great. Windy as when we were there, though. They have signs warning not to camp under the trees in case of wind, so I'm guessing it's a pretty common thing. All in all, a great experience.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Fox Glacier ▷
Gillespies Beach Campsite
4.0/5
Very busy free camping spot.
It's about a 15-20 minute drive from the main road along a winding forest road (which is actually really cool, even if it's a bit exhausting to maneuver).
Be sure to walk out onto the beach (two minute walk, tops) to watch the sunset, but make sure to flip around and catch a glimpse of the setting sun's reflection off of Mt Cook and Fox Glacier. Absolutely gorgeous.
Only complaint is that the toilet had an incredibly strong odor, but that's kind of to be expected.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Cascade Creek Campsite
4.5/5
Nice DOC site near Milford Sound.
We were there at a pretty slow time of year, but this campground was still almost entirely full.
One of the few DOC spots on the South Island with fire pits, too, so be sure to arrive early if you want one of those.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Springs Junction ▷
Deer Valley Campsite
5.0/5
You can't ask for much more from a free camping spot.
Highly recommend. Word of advice though: If you're traveling from Hamner Springs, it would be wise to fill up on petrol before leaving, as this site is in the middle of nowhere. I wish somebody had told me that prior to our departure. Whoopsie!
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Deer Flat Campsite
5.0/5
Well maintained, easily accessible, with a great view.
Sandflies were a bit of a nuisance, but I think you'll find that anywhere along the Milford Road. Great spot for stargazing, too.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Robin Hood Bay Campsite
2.5/5
Tried staying here on 23 October.
Lovely spot, very secluded. The drive in isn't as bad as we thought it would be, either. Certain times of the year, I'm sure this would be one of the best freedom camping spots on the South Island, but unfortunately, after nightfall, we were attacked by heaps of mosquitoes. I opened our van door for just a brief moment and about 100 of the pests slipped in. We ended up driving back to Blenheim around midnight, as the bugs made Robin Hood Bay absolutely unbearable. Worse than any experiences we've had with sandflies, even.
Other than the bugs, it is absolutely incredible and gorgeous and well maintained.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Moray Terrace
5.0/5
This was one of my favorite free spots we stayed at.
It's just a big patch of grass off the road by a small beach, with a toilet nearby, but it's lovely. We made a little fire on the beach at night after asking some locals if it was permitted (they said it was, so long as the wind wasn't too bad).
Very quiet when we were there, with one of the most spectacular sunsets you can imagine.