Jamie
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North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Waitomo ▷
Waitomo TOP 10 Holiday Park
4.5/5
Waitomo Top 10 is a great place to stay right next to the glowworm caves and a great place to meet fellow travelers, locals, and Blackwater rafting guides who hang out at Huhu restaurant next door and
fun Curly's bar across the street. The people at reception are able to book your tours or give you information for Black Water Rafting tours just down the road. The facilities were good and standard for a Holiday Park with laundry, a kitchen (though a bit small), and clean bathrooms.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Tauranga ▷
Mount / Mt Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park
4.0/5
Mt. Maunganui Holiday Park is in a beautiful area right near the picturesque ocean on two sides, beautiful hiking trails to the mountain right next to the park, and a hot springs public pool that is good
for children. The facilities are good with laundry, a big kitchen, clean bathrooms, and hot showers. There's a street in walking distance with restaurants and bars, but aside from that, we didn't think there was too much to do and only passed through.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Cron street ▷
Rainforest Retreat
5.0/5
The Rainforest Holiday Park has it all: super close to lots of bars, restaurants, and places to book helicopter and glacier tours, a helpful reception that can also book tours for you, lots of spots for
campervans and backpackers, clean and modern facilities, good wifi, and it's in a beautiful area that feels like you're in nature. A lot of backpackers on the Kiwi Experience busses come here too and hang out at Monsoon bar on the property, so it's very fun and you can meet a lot of people. Highly recommended!
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North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Wellington ▷
Evans Bay Marina Carpark
3.5/5
Evans Bay carpark is a good place to stay for free if you're trying to save money, you have a self contained campervan, and you are heading to the ferry the next day.
The marina is beautiful but there's not much to do around there, unless you want to walk a couple blocks to Kilbirnie and hang out with the locals at the Corner Bar like we did. There are taxis and Ubers that can take you into Wellington Central if you want to eat and go out but don't want to lose your spot in the first come first served camping spots (on the south side close to the streetlights). The only problem we had was that the bathroom locks at night and stays locked if people forget to dead bolt the door (like the sign says) after a certain time.
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North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village ▷
Whakapapa Holiday Park
4.5/5
Whakapapa Holiday Park was the perfect holiday park to stay in.
It's in a beautiful forest so it feels like you're actually camping in nature, and there are beautiful hikes right next to the campsite. The facilities are great with a huge kitchen (great for meeting people), hot hot showers, and people from all over the world who stay there. It's also close to Tongariro crossing which is highly recommended. The only qualm I have is the wifi wouldn't work, but it's to be expected since it's in such a remote National Park.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Abel Tasman ▷
Abel Tasman Marahau Beach Camp
4.0/5
Abel Tasman Marahau Beach Camp is in a great location close to the information centre where you can book kayaking tours and water taxis, or start your hike on the beachfront trails leading north.
The facilities are standard to most holiday parks with laundry, a kitchen, and slightly spotty wifi. It's a bit quiet here, but there's a restaurant next door (that closes pretty early) and a pizzeria/bar up the road (at the trailhead to the hike) where they have live music on Thursdays and which can get busy during high season.