The Orari Gorge campsite is quite small but is very well set up with flush toilets and a good water supply.

There is plenty of grass for camping but in October the grounds were a bit soggy. The Orari Gorge walking track climbs up onto the ridge-line behind the camp. This site is a little "off the beaten track" with a few kilometres of good gravel road to reach it. A quiet and inexpensive spot not far from the Canterbury plains Inland Tourist Route.

Reviewed about 5 years ago and experienced in October 2019

The Argyle reservoir has a small official campsite & slipway with flush toilets.

The general area of the power scheme and hydro canals also has a number of permitted sites for fully self contained vehicles. The official campsite is easily found by following the signposts from SH63 to Lake Argyle and slipway. Accessing the slipway campsite involves climbing the steep gravel road up onto the reservoir embankment then following the signs to the south eastern corner of the lake. This road is quite rough gravel and has some very large puddle-craters. Two small concrete fords (normally dry) have steep entry and exit ramps that may challenge low slung vehicles. Camping space at the slipway is limited and the ground is uneven. It is ground-zero for sandflies. There are flush toilets at the slipway campsite.

There are other potential csc campsites at the power scheme intake dam on the Branch river several km upstream of the Argyle reservoir and a signposted csc area among gum trees right next to SH63 on the entry road.. There are parking spaces close to powerhouse no.2 on the Wairau river and near to the tailrace at the northern end of the canal system.

All of the canals are stocked with trout but they don't reach the epic sizes of the fish in the famed hydro canals further south.

Three things to be aware of.

Lake Argyle is used occasionally for power boat events at which time the slipway will be a hive of activity and the lake will be unusable for other forms of recreation.

Fish and Game occasionally release large numbers of Rainbow trout into the lake. This is usually widely publicized and will produce a "gold-rush" of hopeful anglers. Around this time the campsite may be full of long-stayers.

The Branch/Argyle power scheme is largely surrounded by production pine forest and open farmland. At times of extreme fire danger the campsite may be closed.

Reviewed almost 6 years ago

Mill Flat is an extensive grassy opening on the floor of a mountain valley.

It is surrounded on all sides by forest and in itself is on a kind of boundary between native beech forest and production pine plantations. The Pine Valley stream borders one side of the camping area and provides pristine fresh water and a deep icy swimming hole. There are long-drop toilets but no other facilities.

It is possible to drive an ordinary vehicle on the rough and dusty Pine Valley Road up to a parking area from which the Mill Flat campsite is an easy 25 minute walk .. including a swing bridge across the stream to the campsite. The carpark and adjacent swimming hole would be a pleasant site for a fully self contained vehicle. There is now a toilet at the car park. 4x4 vehicles with reasonable ground clearance can negotiate the ford which is quite deep and uneven. Do not attempt to cross this stream if the river is high.

Mill Flat is a good place for safe and easily accessible "wilderness" camping. A continuation of the walking track through Mill Flat leads to the site of the former Pine Valley Hut and eventually to the mountain track to the summit of Mt Fishtail and the Richmond Range.

Since the time of writing my previous comment and new long-drop toilet has been constructed at the car park

Reviewed about 5 years ago and experienced in July 2018

The McKee Memorial Reserve camping ground is pretty much the size of a full-on "motor camp" without the expensive facilities and entertainments.

The grounds are huge and camping spots are unmarked and very much first-come first-served. There are several blocks of flush toilets that are functional and clean but in the crowded week leading up to Christmas there was a queue in the early morning. For those of us who are self contained there is a good dump-station on the site. The custodian was very friendly. McKee's is a brilliant example of the type of no-frills budget-friendly camp that ought to make freedom-c..pp..g unnecessary.

Reviewed almost 7 years ago

For once we were touring without our van and stayed a night in the motel unit.

We found the owners helpful and friendly, the motel clean and well set up. There is obviously a lot of work being done around the property and while the private hot pools are pretty basic they were free with the unit and had no time limit. The camping area looked pretty bare but the campground hot pool looked inviting. We would stop there again .. maybe in the van next time.

Reviewed about 7 years ago

A very picturesque place alongside beautiful lake Brunner.

While there are extensive grassed areas reserved for picnic parties at Iveagh bay the camping area is a rigidly defined 30 by 40 metre (approx) gravel parking lot with a slight downhill slope. There are flush toilets but no outside taps and numerous warnings that the water is "not fit for human consumption ". Judging by the mess after ANZAC weekend the few rubbish bins are not emptied frequently. This is a very popular freedom camping spot.complete with toilet paper in the bush about 150 metres away from the toilet block.

Reviewed over 7 years ago

The Lake Mahinapua campsite has a beautiful setting close to the edge of the lake with a one-way road in and another leading out through thick bush.

Given a clear morning the sunrise over the lake is superb. The main camping area is a large grassed circle that gets chewed up by the wheels of heavy vehicles in wet weather making deep ruts and mud. A smaller camping area nearby is shaded for the first half of the day by a steep bush covered hill. There are clean flush-toilets and a space to hang a solar-shower as well as a separate covered space for dish washing and possibly food preparation out of the rain. Freshwater and rubbish / recycling are available onsite. A shallow concrete slipway next to the campsite gives easy lake access for small boats & kayaks. Close to the campsite there are a couple of easy bush walks and it is possible to get onto the West Coast cycle trail from the campsite but making this connection requires a couple of kilometres of main-road riding. The camp is very popular and the only downside is the relatively high cost for a DOC site.

Reviewed over 7 years ago

The Nelson creek campsite is an interesting place with lots of bush-walks, gold mining relics and a well constructed children's playground.

The site is large and offers several camping areas but it is also a bit uneven with plenty of boggy hollows to avoid. The facilities are basic with flushing toilets and drinkable water. There is also a dump station onsite. Good value for $6 per person per night.

Reviewed over 7 years ago

McLeans Recreation Area is a large, rather damp (in Autumn/Winter) roadside / riverside reserve with heaps of room for campers, tents and caravans.

In the reviews there are a lot of negative comments about the toilets but if all of those staying are self-contained that should not be an issue. There were several people "camping" in their cars during our brief stay.. Note: there is a conflict of comments relating to the Rankers Introduction screen vs the "Overnight Stay Rules" tab.. one says Self-Contained only & the other says Any Camping is permissible.

There is no tap-water supply here but the river is clean enough to fill a solar shower or be heated in a pot for dish-washing. There was noisy traffic during the day but it was fairly quiet at night. We would stay there again.

Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in April 2017

A small camping area with a short gravel road and turn-around loop.

Quite a steep grade up from the site to the road with no level patch to wait for traffic. The river has a nice deep swimming hole and the water is clean but unlikely to be drinkable. Only downside was the traffic noise from the Nelson/Blenheim highway which carries a lot of heavy trucks in the early morning presumably heading to/from the Cook Strait Ferries. Popular stop off place but not as crammed as the Alfred Stream site about 1 km away on the main road.

Reviewed almost 8 years ago

Great walk through spectacular scenery ..

but not so good for leisure e-cycling. Tried riding from both ends but gave up after about 10 minutes from the Seddonville start. Easier riding in from Ngakawau but the long stretches of remaining wooden sleepers and rails make a judder-bar staircase that defeated us after about 40 minutes. Young, fit, gung-ho types of dedicated mountain bikes would find it easy .. especially if starting from the Seddonville end as the track is downhill all the way.

Reviewed almost 8 years ago

Helpful and friendly staff.

The camp is well set up with good graveled pitches for motorhomes and plenty of sheltered grass areas for tenting. The communal areas are very functional and obviously the owners are working away at improvements and maintenance. Solid energy have built a magnificent sports complex including an indoor swimming pool about 5 minutes walk from the camp.

Reviewed almost 8 years ago

Great campsite.

There are parking bays along the bush edge and more open flats on the opposite side of the track. Longdrop toilets were well maintained and quite clean. The only down-side is the camp water supply which had live aquatic insect larvae coming out of the taps. The water in the main Maruia River looked cleaner. Highly recommend the walk in to Lake Daniels but walkers need to remember that it is an alpine environment and go prepared for a sudden change in the weather.

Reviewed about 8 years ago

A nice place for a short stay even in the middle of winter when the sun reaches the bay from about 9.00 am to 2.00 pm.

A bit damp underfoot for tenting, Yes, the swampy bush pongs a bit but the toilet is okay for what it is. If you're disturbed by trains in the night or heavy traffic noise you'd probably be better off paying to stay somewhere else. Gave 7 / 10

Returned in February of 2016 On a hot summers Saturday

Over 30 vehicles camped in the reserve with some people parking up & tenting in the centre of the circle. A few tents pitched in odd gaps between the crowd of non-self-contained people-movers. The toilet was too disgusting to enter and someone had used bags of their empty booze bottles to prop open the door .. presumably to let the place air out. Clearly camping "free" has its downside in the height of the holiday season. Gave 3 / 10

Reviewed almost 9 years ago

Onamalutu is a picnic and camping spot with a nicely kept toilet block, a short walk through an attractive fringe of native bush beside a small stream that can disappear in the summer and a fairly large

grassy playing / camping area; but not much else. There are a few power outlets for caravans. A lot of casual visitors come and go during the day. A bit off the beaten track but nice enough for a short stay.

Had a second stay of three nights in January 2016. The stream had been swept clean by a couple of heavy rainfalls which left a string of beautiful swimming holes that can be found by walking upstream. A lovely quiet spot during the week .. the picnic parties turn up in the weekends.

Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

Lovely camping spot, well maintained and very tidy.

Plenty of scope for tenters and some amazingly well built fireplaces including a pizza oven! Flush toilets and separate "parking bays" for vans. An open sided rain shelter would be a worthwhile addition. Sandflies are a given on the West Coast, get used to them or go somewhere else.

Reviewed almost 9 years ago

I first stopped at Quinneys bush back in 1970 as a day visitor and finally got to stay as a camper 45 years later.

Excellent facilities with a genuine family atmosphere. We were there at Easter and many of the daily programmed fun activities were operating for the children. A great place to take children where they can explore some old fashioned playing away from wi-fi and the internet.

Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in April 2015