Greg Laws
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Lignite Pit Cafe and Secret Garden
4.5/5
Great spot.
Found it by chance. Perfect flat gravel area for campers. Small grassed area for tenters. Ducks, chickens, nature walk, cafe, playground and bird aviaries. Owners were amazing and welcoming.
At the price it's the perfect self contained stop over. We are seasoned tenters so didn't mind any lack of glamping. Toilets provide both hot and cold running water and there is a provision for drinkable rain water. A simple shelter provided for all weather cooking.
Pro's : Price, Secluded, relaxed farm stay. Did I mention price ? ... Gardens, cafe, polite relaxed owners. Price.
Con's : Slight traffic noise. No camp kitchen or showers. No lighting. Lack of road signage.
Conclusion : Simple, relaxed farm stay. Clean and inviting. It might not be what everyone is looking for, but at the asking price how could you ask for more. A great option for those looking for a safer, cleaner option from a freedom camp.
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South Island ▷ Southland ▷ Invercargill ▷
Invercargill Holiday Park and Motels
3.5/5
Arrived quite late with kids in toe.
Showers, toilet and kitchen facilities were good, what you expect in a Top10. Although it did feel very half done and was not up to the Top10 standard we has seen previously. Leaving us to wonder what standards were necessary to become a member of the Top Ten group.
Our biggest complaint came when the owner abused my wife because we were 10 minutes over checkout time. Our car was packed, we were just rounding up the kids and putting the last teeth cleaning pieces away. I could have understood if the park was packed out, but on this day it was empty. I simply question would have easier and this review would have gone a different way.
Conclusion -
All in all apart from price and owners attitude on the day, it is a reasonable stay. Not quite the professional representation we have seen from Top10, but it has loads of improvement possibilities.