Mike Merrick
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South Island ▷ Central Otago ▷ Cromwell ▷
Lowburn Harbour
4.0/5
Excellent free camp location with plenty of space and beautiful views across Lake Dunstan.
Far enough from road to be quite peaceful. Used own facilities as one of the two female toilets was missing a door! Close to Cromwell with good fruit available in season.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Methven ▷
Rakaia Gorge Camping Ground
4.0/5
Superb views if you can park on the cliff edge overlooking the river.
Very good value for money ($17 a night for 2 in a campervan). Lovely relaxed atmosphere and warm welcome: you don't have to leave by 10am. However there is no power on the site and the facilities, whilst well-maintained and clean, are quite basic. Easy distance from Christchurch so a good first or last stop.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Hanmer Springs ▷
Alpine Holiday Apartments and Campground
3.5/5
Very convenient location for Hamner Springs - just 5 mins drive into town where there's plenty of parking and the hot springs are well worth a visit.
Very pleasant and welcoming reception. Good flat large pitches with or without power. Facilities a bit dated but clean and adequate.
Thanks for the comment
Lee & Greg
alpineholidayapartments
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Palmerston ▷
Moeraki Village Holiday Park
3.5/5
Convenient site for visiting Moeraki boulders (at low tide) and yellow-eyed penguins (4 km on unsealed road - note site closes at 7:30 pm but evening is the best time to see the penguins).
Powered sites at front are on gravel and very close together. Sites higher up on grass looked more attractive. Facilities were modern, good and clean.
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South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷ Kaikoura ▷
Kaikoura Peketa Beach Holiday Park
4.0/5
Very welcoming reception and well organised site.
We much preferred this to options in Kaikoura as it was much quieter, less crowded and we had an excellent pitch overlooking the beach. Facilities were clean and good. Watch out for sand flies on the beach!
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Picton / Marlborough Sounds ▷
Double Bay
4.5/5
Beautiful free camp site, very well looked after by the local community although it's a shame that they insist that all campervans must park in the six allocated sites rather than using the lovely area
of grass. Toilet adequate but we preferred to use our own facilities in the van. Good swimming at high tide and melodious bell birds in the trees. Would happily return.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Lake Tekapo ▷
Lakes Edge Holiday Park
3.0/5
Adequate facilities but not really sufficient for the site when full.
Unisex toilet block was OK as was ladies in other block but gents facilities badly in need of update (carpet on floor totally inappropriate). Views over lake limited and not great. Lakeside beach poor and water too shallow for good swimming. Cost $40 for powered site, showers $2 extra.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Owaka ▷
Pounawea Accommodation and Keswick Camping Ground
2.5/5
We stayed on a powered site on the camp ground for $20.
Owners were very pleasant and helpful but the site is very dated with old facilities that are desperately in need of updating. Water supply is only rain water which has to be boiled and there is no dump station.
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin ▷
Leith Valley Holiday Park
4.0/5
Considering this is a city camp site it's remarkably good and welcoming.
A powered site was $38 with good free showers. The site is small but well organised and very clean. There is noise from the adjacent road but this isn't excessive.
Thank you for your review and for rating us so highly. Its nice to hear you found your stay good value for money. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Leith Valley HP
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Moray Terrace
5.0/5
Really nice freedom camp site on a level large grassy area alongside the estuary with wonderful bird life including flocks of Royal Spoonbills.
Didn't need to use toilet facilities so can't comment on these. Very peaceful, relaxing place to stay. Thoroughly recommended.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking
4.5/5
There is clearly a lot of confusion about this location.
It is NOT a single site but rather a whole set of possible freedom camp locations along the Hayman Road. The road is sealed for around 4km from the turn off the SH8 at this point there is a very unsightly hydroelectric plant. We found the "loo with a view" some 3km beyond this but it doesn't have a view to speak of and really isn't worth the drive! There are some excellent sites within the first 2km from the junction with the SH8 that have terrific views of Mt. Cook, sunsets and great swimming.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park & Motels
4.5/5
Excellent site within easy walking distance of the town centre and across the road from the lakeside with lovely views of the lake.
All facilities were well organised and maintained. Good free hot showers and 1hr free wi-fi: $38 for a powered site. Good base for visiting Milford Sound.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Turangi ▷
Oasis Motel & Caravan Park
3.5/5
Really nice location just outside Turangi.
Facilities are a little worn but all perfectly clean and good hot showers are free. Paid 44$ for a powered site but this includes free use of private or communal hot pools which at a constant 40C were excellent and available 24/7.
Transport to the Tongariro crossing will pick up outside the campsite though we went from the Turangi I-site.
We would have rated this 8 or 9 but on our second night there two Kiwi Experience coaches arrived with some 30-40 travellers and parked their kitchen 2 metres from our windscreen. So whilst not a huge problem, we were subject to plenty of noise and chat all of which was quite unnecessary as there was loads of empty space elsewhere on the site.
Stayed three nights waiting for the weather to clear on the mountain which it did and the walk was great!
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Taupo ▷
Five Mile Bay Recreation Reserve
5.0/5
Beautiful spot on the lakeside.
Loads of space so with 20 vans there it didn't feel at all crowded. Didn't need to use the loo (only contained vans allowed) but took a relaxing walk along the paved lakeside path which is popular with joggers and cyclists. Lots and lots of photographs of a splendid sunset!
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Evans Bay Marina Carpark
3.0/5
Excellent legal free site in Wellington.
Particularly good for self-contained camper vans heading for ferry to South Island, though you can stay a maximum of 4 nights in a month if you have time to see Wellington as well. It is however only a windy car park adjacent to the marina, under the airport flight path and close to traffic but none of this prevented a good night's sleep.
Note - only the south end of the car park, nearest to the traffic lights, is for camper vans.
Route to Interislander ferry terminal is very simple - just follow the coast road right through the city and watch for ferry signs in the last km. Takes about 10-15 mins.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Dickson Holiday Park
4.0/5
A very attractive small site on a slope but with mostly level pitches.
Facilities old but clean including a small free swimming pool divided into a children's and adult section. Very welcome on a hot day!
The Butterfly Park on the site is quite independent with good butterflies and few orchids. Around 11$ adult entry is probably rather expensive for limited educational value.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Hahei ▷
Hahei Beach Resort
4.0/5
Very expensive site right on beach - 50$ for unpowered site, 55$ for powered and 90$ for beach front!
However ideal for families with small children. Excellent clean facilities and direct safe access to a good beach.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua ▷
Waiteti Trout Stream Holiday Park
5.0/5
Such a nice site we stayed a second night.
Owner was exceptionally helpful and pleasant. Site is beautifully tended with very attractive trout stream along one boundary - with free kayaks available and a pleasant walk along the stream to Lake Rotorua straight out of the site. Facilities were immaculate and well thought out. This is an excellent base for visiting Rotorua and only 40$ for two on a powered site.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kaitaia ▷
Maitai Bay Campsite
3.5/5
Close to two beautiful beaches - fantastic for swimming, even at low tide.
Facilities very basic but only $10 per person per night. Pitches quite large and protected by trees. Last 2km of road unsealed but not bad surface.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Dargaville ▷
Trounson Kauri Park Campground
4.0/5
Much better to approach this site from the south as road is sealed all the way.
Approach from north is not easy to follow and is a very long way on unsealed roads! So if you come from the north, wait for the second turning marked Trounson Kauri Park. Site is very small and peaceful. Has powered sites for campervans but these are small and all on gravel! Hot showers and basic kitchen make it very good value at $10 per person. Walked through kauri forest at night and heard but didn't see kiwis. Glow worms were lovely.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Opua ▷
Bland Bay Motor Camp
4.5/5
Glorious setting right on the shore.
$22 per person on the waterfront. Facilities clean but basic - hot showers $1 for 4 mins. Manager was very helpful. Beach excellent for swimming from. Would definitely return.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Warkworth ▷
Whangateau Holiday Park
5.0/5
Approach from Pakiri involves a short stretch of poor and highly unsealed road.
Highly organised and very well appointed site. Excellent facilities, especially for families. Kitchens and wash facilities all scrupulously clean. Stayed on waterfront site for $22 per person. Swimming from waterfront safe and good at high tide but inlet empties fast as tide recedes! Rule list looks intimidating but management staff were all pleasant and helpful.
Thank you for taking the time to reveiw our park. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us ad hope you will return again one day.
Regards the team @ Whangateau
whangateau_park
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Mangawhai ▷
Te Arai Point
4.5/5
Great place to stay, right on the beach BUT it is no longer FREE!
Apparently you're supposed to book in advance and get a code to park behind a locked barrier. Cost is apparently 6$ per person. Security guy came around but was fairly apologetic about the system! There's also very poor phone coverage on the site so very difficult to call the required no.