Suzanne Vermeulen
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking
4.0/5
Spacious freedom campground with amazing views on lake Pukaki.
We spotted one longdrop toilet amongst the trees but didn't use it. Difficult to find a flat spot and it can be very windy. But we returned 3 nights because the views are the best!
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Milford Sound - Fiordland National Park ▷
Mirror Lakes Walk
2.5/5
Stop here if you need to stretch your legs.
Small mirror lake area, nothing special after our visit to Lake Matheson.
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South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷ Queenstown Township ▷
Queenstown Holiday Park Creeksyde
4.0/5
City campground so no views and smaller sites.
But within a 5 minute walking distance from the town centre. Various blocks of clean and good facilities. Lovely kitchen areas and nice bbq's. Staff was friendly and helpful. Recommended if you wish to stay in central Queenstown.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Nelson ▷
Maitai Valley Motor Camp
1.5/5
Stayed here for 1 night.
Dodgy looking place with a large permanent resident section that has the standard unpleasant feeling around it. Because of the 'pay for all the extra's' system you end up paying the same as if you'd stay in other Nelson options closer to town. Facilities are outdated but clean. Cold wash only in the washers which basically means your clothes get wet and that's it. Wouldn't recommend staying here.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Christchurch ▷
Coes Ford Camping Ground
4.0/5
No views, but a few huge flat grass areas to camp for free.
One of the areas has a clean toilet block so that's where we parked. Good place for your last night if you have to drop your van off early. We also drove to the other lakeside ground 15km further down the road but drove back to this place as there seemed to be a nice atmosphere here.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
Hooker Valley Track
5.0/5
Easy and busy walk through the Hooker Valley with amazing Mt Cook views after passing the 2nd swing bridge and coming into the valley.
We actually did the walk twice as our first try was in the pouring rain so we couldn't see Mt Cook. The sun was out during are second try and the views were impressive. Start early before 11am to avoid the crowds.
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South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
Rocky Mountain and Diamond Lake
4.0/5
Nice track with variation in steepness.Took us 3 hrs including lookout and rest time to do the Rocky Mountains track.
Be careful when it is wet though. Especially around the top the track needs some maintenance. We thought the view was worth the climb. We took westbound up. In hindsight a good thing as there is a very rocky part that we wouldn't have wanted to come across when getting down.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Harihari ▷
Lake Ianthe Matahi Campsite
3.5/5
Nice DoC site at the lake if Franz Josef is just too far for the day.
The site has two parts: a smaller part directly next to the road and a slightly bigger part that is somewhat more secluded. Expect a lot of sandflies and mosquitos.
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
Sealy Tarns Track
4.5/5
Wow what a climb those 2200 steps are, but the view from the top is super.
The steps are well maintained. There is a nice picnic table on the top. We did this track after the Hooker Valley one. It is nice to have a view to Mt Cook from higher up and your view includes the Mueller glacier lake. The track is on one side of the mountain so if you don't feel like continuing up to the top - it took us 1.5hrs of stair climbing to get up and there was much wind - just stop halfway and enjoy the views from there. Recommended either as a quieter alternative to Hooker Valley, but also as complimentary to Hooker Valley.
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South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Timaru ▷
Timaru TOP 10 Holiday Park
4.5/5
Would have been a 10 if they'd had a view but only freecamp sites seem to have amazing views in NZ.
This was the best Top 10 we stayed in during our 8 weeks in NZ: friendly staff, clean facilities, no timer/coins for shower, warm laundry possible instead of cold wash only, and good WiFi.
Thank you for the review Suzanne. If you jump really high on the jumping pillow you might see a 'view' :).
timaru_top_10
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier Walks
4.0/5
The blue lakes are actually green - there is an explanatory board 'why are the blue lakes green' - and you can't see the glacier terminal from the top.
That being said, the views from the top were nice both ways. The track is mostly made of brand new steps - some 400 steps, we counted them to see what to expect on the 2200 steps of the Sealy Tarns track . The road to the Tasman glacier is brand new as well. It was a nice short walk. Took us 20min to get to the top.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Jucy Rentals
3.0/5
We were in a Jucy Chaser for some 4 weeks and had a nice trip.
Our feeling about Jucy is however mixed. They portray this friendly and open brand, but we got the feeling they're just trying to make the most money out of you as possible.
- there is a 2% commission on credit card payments which we became aware of through a sign on the pick up location, so basically your rental price is 2% higher than confirmed because there is no one carrying around thousands of NZ dollars;
- whatever insurance you chose, even the one the says 'stress free', there is NZD 5,000 own risk for damage to the roof, again: they tell you once you're there to pick up the van;
- they require an English translation of your driving license. Our North Island campervan company accepted our Dutch driving license as it clearly states 'driving' license on top. So there we where again at the pick up point forced to use the translation service company that Jucy conveniently has available.
- we had a NZD 3,000 bond and they actually block this amount on your credit card, whilst other companies accept the old fashioned guarantee slip without blocking the amount;
The Jucy staff is young and basically is instructed to say: it is in our general terms and conditions. Well that reference is probably correct, but our issue is that we were never clearly informed of all these points before making the reservation. It would have suited Jucy to have been upfront and open on these items and clearly mention them prior to making a reservation. These are important factors when deciding on your campervan rental. Jucy basically was our only option because we were late in arranging our campervan, but we wouldn't recommend Jucy when you have other - probably also cheaper - options.
Hi Suzanne,
Overall I hope this can help provide you some reasoning to our business practices, but ultimately we can acknowledge that your feedback is about how JUCY can improve communication with our customer’s prior hire. We are always striving to provide the best possible customer expereince, and will review your feedback highlighted.,Thanks for sharing this with JUCY on your experience - we appreciate all customer feedback.
In regards to the points you have mentioned;
• 2% commission on credit card payments – this is standard with all credit card payments made either online, at the store or over the phone with JUCY. This is something that is common business practise as credit card companies charge the fee to process a payment by credit card.
• All insurance policies have exclusions and at JUCY we believe it’s important to highlight the bigger exclusions on pick up so there are no surprises during your travel, this is why we highlight our important terms to our customers so you are fully aware of these before travelling!
• JUCY require an English translation to make sure everything is valid and correct ! – JUCY provide the details of third party companies that can do this to help make the transition smoother for our customers to get this task done.
• Bond is taken and frozen on your account – but this amount is never transferred to JUCY , we only ask the bank to freeze the funds to confirm the amount is there.
I hope this goes some way to help explain the processes at JUCY. Thanks again for your feedback.
Warm Regards,
Lucy
Jucy Lucy
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South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Mount Cook ▷
White Horse Hill Campground
4.5/5
Best campground in the Mt Cook area, the Glentanner one didn't look attractive when we passed.
Spacious DOC site with a number of clean toilet blocks. There is a communal area and a dump station. Easy to find a flat spot. This is probably why we paid NZD 10 pp instead of the standard NZD 6 paid at other campgrounds. The amazing Hooker Valley walk starts from the campground so you can do the walk before the crowds arrive. If you take the scenic drive to Mt Cook later in the afternoon on a clear day you'll have amazing views on Cook.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
Henry Creek Campsite
3.5/5
We found a nice spot with free lake view but although the ground is next to the lake there aren't many lake view sites.
You can easily get to the lakeside though on foot. We almost got stuck in there with our campervan as we parked at the bottom of a slope and with the pebble underground it was very hard to get back up again. A few toilets are scattered around the site just as picnic tables. Sandflies: of course but not too bad. Fine stop for a night on your way to or back from Milford. We paid NZD 6 pp with an envelop in the registration box. For nicer views out of your campervan continue to the Deer Flat DOC site.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Paihia ▷
Fullers Bay Of Islands
3.5/5
We took the Cream Trip tour and had a good day.
It included a bit too much historic information to our liking, but it was nice to cruise through the whole bay. Although it was a random Tuesday in October the boat was packed, so don't think you're going on anything exclusive. You don't have the dolphins guarantee Fullers gives on the other tours, but we saw a wonderful pod of them in the last 10 minutes of our tour. We prepaid for swimming with dolphins but there was no opportunity to do that that day. It was only at the end of the next day that we realised we didn't got our pre payment refunded. The don't actively point that out to you on board, which would be the right thing to do. As we were in Russell still we went to the office and got the refund two days later.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Whangarei ▷
Whangarei TOP 10 Holiday Park
4.0/5
Small and nice, so book ahead for the summer.
Clean and spacious facilities. In the north the campgrounds just seem to be a bit more expensive.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Warkworth ▷
Whangateau Holiday Park
4.0/5
Ask for a waterfront site they're lovely.
Very spacious sites. The facilities are nice and clean. 5 minutes good and hot shower for 50ct, that's fine. Paid NZD 42 for one night. Seems to be the regular price to pay for something good in this part of NZ. Half of the campsite seemed to be more or less permanent campervans with tents attached, but they were grouped at one site of the campground. Friendly campground.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Orewa ▷
Orewa Reserve
0.5/5
There are no signs there so we didn't know where the so-called designated area is.
Very frustrating given the 'welcoming' words in the info section of this campground.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Waiotapu ▷
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
5.0/5
Amazing and unique collection of thermal sightseeing.
Must see in the neighbourhood. If you choose one paid activity we recommend this one. With NZD 32.50 pp fairly priced.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Silica Rapids
3.0/5
Nice walk to the rapids, make sure not to complete the loop though but walk back from the rapids.
Otherwise you'll end up walking beside the road for the last 2km
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Huntly ▷
Lake Hakanoa Huntly Motor Caravan Park
4.0/5
We decided not to stay on the Ngawharuia free camp spots but to continue our travel to Huntly.
We again learned: in NZ the free camp spots have the best locations. The Huntly campground was nice and fine, but we paid NZD 35 for 1 night whilst knowing that we could have had a nice and free river view 15 minutes earlier. However if your looking for a powered site with good showers, Huntly is a perfectly fine place to stay. Nice management and when the office is closed you can just find a spot and they'll find you.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Waipu ▷
Waipu Cove Cottages
4.5/5
Lovely small campground!
Clean facilities. Close to a wonderful beach. We chose this campground over the very big one a bit down the road - which had easier beach access and also looked nice, but was a bit too big for us.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Waihi ▷
Anzac Bay, Bowentown Domain
5.0/5
A wonderful freedom camp spot.
Just on a hill overlooking a white sand beach. It was a bit too cold for us to enjoy the beach but this is a perfect spot for a beach day. Ample space for free campers, some 10 campervans will fit in the designated area. Clean toilets. Highly recommended.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Tapu Creek Campervan Park
3.0/5
Looks like a nice small camping ground.
We stayed here one night as the only mobile guests. Nzd 16 pp is a bit too much. Basically we paid that for some electricity and water only. They have an outdoor kitchen but at our visit it didn't have running water.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua ▷
The Redwoods
3.0/5
We probably chose the wrong path with the 2hr yellow loop.
This loop gets you along a logging site without trees and a busy road for the last 2km. Not so much to see during the walk as well. Worthwhile point was the lookout, you have a nice view of Te Puia and can see the geyser Puhutu - without paying the NZD 48 entrance fee.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Piha Overnight Campervan Parking
4.5/5
Unclear whether it is a paid site or not.
In the rankers overview it looks like it is a paid site, but on the map in the Piha library it looks like a free freedom campsite. We had a great spot with a wonderful over Karekare beach. One clean longdrop toilet available. The area isn't really big, around 5 campervans can park with a nice view and another 3 without a view. Mercer bay loop -about 1 hour- start and ends here.
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo ▷
Waitomo TOP 10 Holiday Park
3.0/5
With NZD 48 p night for a powered site very expensive.
Especially if you only stay there for the night. Clean facilities. Need to pay extra for WiFi, would expect that to be included in the price.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Russell ▷
Russell TOP 10 Holiday Park
1.5/5
This bad grade only relates to the bad conditions of the shower/toilet facilities.
These are outdated, unclean and not up to Top 10 standard, and it's only the start of the season now! They should have used the winter to replace the facilities block. We don't mind the fact that the shower is metered, but these shower cubicles are so small! And then they also want you to close the curtain: well we won't, because then you'll be all against the curtain. The men's bathroom wasn't clean at all. My boyfriend basically hated taking a shower there. More than half of the stove tops in the kitchen were broken. It is a real pity though because the campground area is nice and we liked the location. If they step it up with new facilities they could be a 10! Ps: don't accept bayview spot number 11, you pay extra for the view but are located just next to the central dump station.
Thanks for taking the time to review our park. Our amenities are always cleaned to a high standard, however they have had a good innings and are in need of a revamp. We are currently getting quotes to refurbish them however, as we have just taken over management of the park in October, there won't be time to complete this works before the season. Rest assured, we will start on these works just as soon as summer is over and we can do it with the minimum amount of disruption to our guests.
Einnee Facey
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Opua ▷
Whangaruru Beachfront Camp
4.5/5
We were lucky to have front row ocean view.
Lovely small campground. A bit older but clean facilities. We loved it!
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo ▷
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
3.0/5
We ended up doing the tour as we wanted to see the glow worms but expected a true tourist trap.
With that in mind we found the tour to be okay. The cave is nice and the short boat ride at the end is special. NZD 49 pp still is an awful lot of money though especially as we were a group of some 40 persons or so. If you drive to Aranui cave parking there is a free 30 min walk where you can see the glowworms at night.
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua ▷
Affordable Willowhaven Holiday Park
4.5/5
Wonderful smaller park, we stayed 2 nights on a nice lakeside spot.
Sweet owners. Good and clean facilities. We paid NZD 32 per night for the two of us which we found good value for money.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Whitianga ▷
Simpsons Beach Camp
2.5/5
The freedom camp site in Whitianga was full - only 3 vehicles allowed - so we moved to this place.
Basically the same as freedom camping without any facilities. It is a nice stretch of gras next to the sea. We paid NZD 10 which is just okay knowing that better spots exist for free just a few kilometers down the road.
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Orewa ▷
Wenderholm Camping Ground
4.0/5
We ended up staying in the campground but note there is also a self contained camping area in the same park.
There is a small price difference between the two, but both are nice options. There is a new toilet block available in the campground and there is water. There are no showers. It is a nice open area where you can chose your own spot. It was quiet when we were there and we had a nice view over the inlet. Definitely recommended.
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3.5/5
Our bus was packed and all seats were taken - also the middle seat in the last row in the bus, so the poor guy sitting there had absolutely no view at all.
This setup gave us a bit of a tourist trap feeling, but we wanted to have the drive over 90 mile beach which we couldn't do with our campervan. We had a nice day. Stopped a number of times, for a short walk in a Kauri park, a morning tea, fish and chips lunch, restroom stop in the afternoon, but these stops were nicely timed and not too long. Our driver Kevin adequately communicated what to expect next, when to get back to the bus etc and gave some nice info on the surroundings during the tour. We're a younger couple - 35/40 - and there weren't too many of our age on board. So if your looking for something more refreshing you probably need to search for another operator. We enjoyed the 90 mile beach ride and the visit to Cape Reinga, it made it worthwhile for us.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Kerikeri ▷
Aroha Island
5.0/5
We spent two relaxing nights in the Aroha campground.
The camp has a very welcoming feeling to it and just made us slow down and sit and enjoy the place. It has an ecological set up, so don't expect luxury. You'll find decent and clean facilities - note they recently changed the showers so you'll pay NZD 1 for around 5 minutes hot water. It is a smaller campground so in summer do book ahead if you want to be sure of a spot. There's a lovely bay area that has unpowered sites. We decided to stay on one of the powered sites, it's a nice area, closer to the facilities. It is wonderful that you can try to find kiwi at night. We got some great tips on how to do that from the site managers. We tried both nights and were so lucky to spot a kiwi on our second night :)
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Orewa ▷
Hatfield Bay
0.5/5
There are no signs there so we didn't know where the so-called designated area was.
Very frustrating given the 'welcoming' words in the info section of this campground.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Whakapapa Holiday Park
3.5/5
Small but complete campground.
Close to Tongariro Crossing start and a few other tracks around. WiFi didn't work and one of the laundromats was broken. Feels a bit odd to pay full price NZD 42 for powered site in that event. Dumpstation is central so you have to line up before you go. Due to good location recommended though.