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Christina Sperling
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Ambury Park Camping Ground
1.5/5
We really struggled whether we should choose this campground because the last review said that the shower is not working and the toilets are stinky.
But as it is a DOC site we hoped one month later everything is fixed. It's not. :( Womens' shower is not working (wouldn't take a shower there anyhow) and the toilets are dirty. Worse than on many free campgrounds we have stayed the last weeks. So for what kind of "service" are we paying 15$? Well, it's a nice scenery within the park - we have to admit that and those are the 3 points we are giving for this campground. Would not recommend it though it's very near to the airport.
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North Island ▷ Coromandel ▷ Thames ▷
Waiomu Domain Beachfront Reserve
4.5/5
Nice place directly at the sea front with public toilets (open all night).
Toilets are really big, but only ok clean. There is a coin bbq at the site and various picnic benches. Enough space for 4-5 campers. Nice grassy areas with big trees. Quiet and a very nice café on the other side of the street. Would definitely recommend this place for one night.
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South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷ Kaikoura ▷
Kaikoura Crayfish and Camp
4.5/5
We absolutely loved this place.
It's small and quiet. We stayed at a powered site with a great view over the beach and sea. The road is nearby but didn't bother us. Showers and toilets are basic and clean - for us totally fine to take a hot shower in the morning. The owner is very nice - she recommended to get up early and see the sunrise - this was an absolutely stunning view from the beach across the road. A delicious self-made smoothie from her shop in the morning was our souvenir from this nice little spot.
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North Island ▷ Bay of Plenty ▷ Omokoroa ▷
Waitui Reserve
4.5/5
This is a nice spot to stay overnight.
Freedom camping is allowed and there are public toilets next to the parking area - very clean (!) and they are not locked overnight. You need to bring a torch because there is no light in the toilets. It's very quiet and the view was great. We had a sunset over the bay in all different colours and saw a stingray in the water because the tide was low and we were exploring the area a bit. We would definitely come back here to spend the night.
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North Island ▷ Taupo Region ▷ Wairakei ▷
Wairakei Thermal Valley Campground
2.5/5
Initially we chose this campground because it's next to one of the hot pools of Taupo.
In the end we didn't go and instead did the small 45 minutes geothermal walk which starts at the campground ($10 each). This was pretty nice. The campground itself is a bit special - all kind of animals running around trying to eat your stuff and also noisy (the peacocks!!!). We told the owner that we want to use the BBQ so they cleaned it for us (animal poo!). While using it the BBQ always turned off so we had to call the owner three times - a big hassle. :-( Toilets were ok, but didn't feel comfy there. Same for the kitchen. The owners don't seem to take good care of the facilities. It was ok to spend on night ($17 each for non-powered), but we wouldn't come back here.