Joanna Doran
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Totara Campsite
4.5/5
Big site so lots of space, very peaceful, beautiful views.
Near river, loads of lupins. Clean toilets. Handy stop on way to or from Milford.
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Double Bay
4.5/5
Beautiful spot, very quiet, clean loo.
Great views. Ideal first camp on South Island if arriving in the evening and heading towards Abel Tasman. Road is winding but all tarmac.
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Otaki ▷
Waikawa Campsite
4.0/5
Stunning spot, very quiet.
Not loads of sites but we had no issue. Great stop over spot on the way south. We drove from here to Wellington and had most of the day to explore the city and museum before an evening ferry.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Abel Tasman ▷
Old Macdonalds Farm and Holiday Park
5.0/5
We came for one night and stayed three, didn't want to leave.
The location is quiet and peaceful and just a short walk to the beach. We visited all three sites in Marahau and there is no comparison, this is a great location, good rate, peaceful and friendly. The facilities are all here, not super swanky but all you need. Free showers and reasonable laundry. Staff have been awesome and so helpful. We booked all our kayak hire and water taxis here. On site kayak company are great and their freedom rental is cheapest we found- kit great and the safety briefing excellent. This is good value and if you want to get into the park we think this is the best possible option. The cafe/bar on the beach is around 10 mins away and does great wood fired pizza after a day on the water or on the trail.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Milford Sound - Fiordland National Park ▷
Milford Sound Lodge – Rainforest Campervan Park
3.5/5
This place is all about location and as we booked a kayak trip with a 6am pick up then it was needed.
The facilities are good, modern lounge, cafe etc and nice loos and showers. Wifi pretty costly. The sites however are very close together with basically no privacy. We mistook the unpowered sites for the car park outside reception! Powered sites offer a bit more privacy but still small and gravelly. Recommend asking for a site that backs onto the river. Big issue is the price 22 dollars pp for no power and 25 with. Ended up in a powered site just to avoid the location of the non powered ones. The rankers app has the wrong rates on so beware. We have asked the camp site to get it amended. Great location but not the best value for money.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Owaka ▷
Waikawa Recreation Reserve
4.5/5
Great spot for Curio Bay, we arrived just before sunset and headed to the beach (short drive) to see the Yellow Eyed Penguins.
We got there just in time to see 4 coming in to nest. Amazing! Doc ranger there was very helpful too and informative. The site is quite close to some houses but that didn't feel like an issue. You can park up near some trees and get some shelter from the winds. Lovely views. Very quiet spot and loos were fine, around 200 metres away.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Putaruru ▷
Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel Camp
4.0/5
Beautiful scenic location, simple facilities ( basic loos and shower).
6 powered sites. Very quiet. Bar at the nearby hotel was available if wanted. The hot springs on site are down by the river, they are basic and simple but we loved them, they are private to you and a great place to spend an hour after dark and great value. Perfect spot to spend the night en route to Rotorua as within easy distance.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Fox Glacier ▷
Clearwater Stream Camping
4.0/5
Across the bridge on your left.
Just a grassy/gravel spot really but the views are what make it, the best view of the fox glacier that we got. Very quiet and peaceful and we had the place to ourselves. Just a short drive to Lake Matheson in the morning too and there's a nice cafe and gift shop there even if the weather is poor.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Turangi ▷
Oruatua Picnic Site
4.5/5
Stunning location by lake, very quiet, stunning sunset.
Great place to stop between Taupo and the Tongariro crossing as you are within easy reach in the morning. One loo but for self contained only so shouldn't matter.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Glenorchy ▷
Queenstown-Glenorchy Road, Lake Face Creek
4.0/5
Really good spot if you are heading up to or back from Glenorchy and want to get some spectacular views for the evening.
Avoids the gravel roads that lie beyond Glenorchy on the way to Routeburn or Kinloch. Pretty quiet, tiny bit of road noise in the morning but nothing of an issue. Waterfall up behind. Stunning views of the lake and mountains. Bit bumpy so takes a little bit of time to get a flat parking spot.