Derek Drost
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Oxford ▷
3.5/5
It was fine, quiet, with kitchen facility included.
Shower included but only 4 minutes of hot water. An additional 4 minute token was a dollar or two. Caretakers were friendly enough. Sites were closely packed and I bet it could be noisy in the high season.
South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Te Anau ▷
4.5/5
This place is the essence of campervanning in New Zealand.
Million dollar views for $6/person, and no competition in September for the best spot in the ground. The only reason I don't give it 10/10 is that I was greeted by heaps of sand flies, the worst mobs of them anywhere on my trip. Still, I'd stop here again in a heartbeat-- the views are unbeatable!
South Island ▷ Central Otago ▷ Cromwell ▷
4.0/5
Lovely location, large site with lots of space to spread out.
Quite a few families with kids so if that's not your scene beware. Some road noise during the night but no real issue.
South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Haast ▷
3.5/5
Not a bad DOC camp.
Self contained so no opinion on the loo. Was fairly full even in mid September. Heaps of sandflies will greet you in typical West Coast fashion.
South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township ▷
4.0/5
Spendy but worth it if you've been off the grid a few days as I was.
Wonderful bathrooms with unlimited hot water included. Spa and sauna. Expensive but effective laundry - $3 to wash and $4 to dry but mine was $8 as it was still damp after one cycle. Very nice outdoor kitchen facilities with propane included and several grill tops available.
They offer a shuttle TO central Wanaka but strangely don't provide return service. When I asked why no good explanation was given. I guess they just drive the shuttle back empty which seems awfully stupid. They offered a cab as a solution which was expected to be $12 one way. I ended up just watching a movie, cooking in the kitchen, and going to bed.
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Methven ▷
3.5/5
Just as the other reviews have said, a nice enough place and a good value.
HOWEVER, I was here on September 30 and the shower building was locked up along with over 3/4 of the campsites -- completely inaccessible. This was very disappointing as I chose this site for access to the showers, and the location...I would have happily paid more elsewhere for a shower facility and powered site had this been made clear at the honesty box check in. In the summer I'm sure this place earns its high marks.
South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Lumsden ▷
3.5/5
Nice of the town to offer this and I ended up spending my "camp fee" in the local pub instead.
Got very crowded even in usually quiet late September with at least 20 vans/cars spending the night. I found a bit of solace in the gravel lot by the railway cars.
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Springfield ▷
3.0/5
The pros are that it's convenient and indeed has most of the amenities you'd need for a night or two.
The cons are that I don't think it's that inexpensive for what you get (but it's certainly not priced unfairly either), the facilities are dated, and it has zero scenic charm. I stayed here the first night on arrival because it was close to where I needed to be the next day. Otherwise I probably would have passed it by. It served its purpose for me in that regard.
I believe the shower was a dollar for 6 minutes of hot.
South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel ▷
4.0/5
Great freedom camping location.
Quiet, dark, lots of space to spread out, and wonderful views. Fishing wasn't bad either! A bit windy at night but not a huge bother. Not all sites level.