03Nov18.

1 night for 2, powered site $40. Our last van night before we go home. Friendly welcome. Reasonable price.

Maybe not the most salubrious place we have been to in 8 weeks but perfectly ok as a last stop. Don’t forget where it is, near the hire depots and in an industrial area.

Car/van wash area. Cold water, bucket, brushes and rags. Hose pipe not quite long enough and it leaked when pointing up so I got a bit wet. However, it was there and didn’t cost extra. Try not to splash the people in the adjacent cabin.

Van sites are gravel, ours was level with power and water. Picnic tables too on the grass area between pitches.

The toilet/shower block nearest reception is undergoing an upgrade and was supposed to be finished by 2nd November so should be soon. The other one is ok.

Shower is push button. Pre set temperature that is good, no messing about trying to get it right. 6 minutes followed by 3 minutes delay. Rush through and enjoy standing in the hot shower!

Plenty of rubbish and recycling bins.

Kids play stuff and a swimming pool for the summer.

Free WiFi. Unlike others we had no problems with it at all.

Kitchens.

Laundries with choice of hot or cold washes!

Outside the park is a commercial vehicle cleaning area with vacuum hoses at a good price.

There is also a Z fuel station. Perfect for the final refuel. Don’t forget your 6cents a litre off from New World. Other supermarkets are available. My wife particularly likes Countdown for their muffins!

Unfortunately there are no near bars or shops. Either a long walk or you have to drive. Z fuel do have a shop with the usual fuel station goods. No beer.

Noise. A bit of road and plane but not so bad. The high revving cars late at night were more annoying. Hopefully an unusual episode.

Not a place we would stay for longer than the last night of our trip but all things considered a good option.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

18Oct18.

We come here every trip. A change since our last visit. A lot of work done here and, I think, nearly finished.

The car park has improves, mostly. The original bit is very rutted and our whale of a van wallowed horribly. Round the corner it is better and there is a larger park not yet open.

The walk to the bridge looks better and the walk from the bridge down to the river’s edge is better. Noticeably more people here than either of our previous visits.

The water was a beautiful colour, unlike last time. The weather and other factors play a part in that.

Worth the longish ride out there.

Tip. If going to Lake Kaniere from here, be aware that there are about 10k’s of narrow, gravel road around the south end of the lake past Dorothy Falls down to Hans Bay

Reviewed about 6 years ago

27Oct18.

We stopped at the viewing area the other side of the road. Ok views of the river and the small hydro scheme. Good spot for a tea or coffee stop.

The camp area is the other side of the road. Didn’t stay there but had a look. Not too level and quite small. The entrance is narrow and if you have a big van you will need to go the wrong side of the road to get in if coming from Queenstown. Not a good idea. Go into the view area to make the turn.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

08Oct18.

Stopped here on the way over to Takaka. It is as described with a short walk to the lookout. Is was sunny and clear so the the view was great. While we were there a couple who live in Nelson appeared. It was their first visit and were amazed at the view. Worth going to.

The Ngarau Caves and lookout is a bit further along the road. The lookout looks a slightly different direction so is also worth a stop. Went to the caves in 2006. It is a paid for place. Hourly guided tours into the caves. Can’t say what it is like now but prob worth visiting.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

20Oct18.

Looked in but didn’t stay.

3 new loos that we’re perfectly fine. Hand washing but soap empty. 2 large sinks.

Not to many sandflies.

$13 per person. It says powered sites are available although we didn’t see any. They were, I think, $21 per person.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

07Oct18.

Not a review for the playground but for the whole beach area. Lots there. The tide was mostly in this time. If this is the same beach we went to before, the tide goes out a long way and the beach is enormous.

We stopped over for the toilets and then lunch.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

18Oct18.

Only 8 because of the people who flash torches around even when it is not completely dark and because some people think that a picture of a few pinpricks of light are worth taking, especially when they haven’t turned off their flash!

As for the place itself, it is easy to get up to the dell, actually an adventure in itself when really dark. There are railings to hold onto and follow. Follow the instructions and keep left up and down so hopefully you don’t bump into anyone else.

It takes a while for eyes to acclimatise so be patient. It is worth going to.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

19Oct18.

$44 for 2 of us in large camper powered site. Free WiFi.

The site allocated to us was a little awkward to get onto as we had to be sideways but most others were drive/reverse in.

It looks a bit claustrophobic at first but it was quiet.

The bar and restaurant were very good. Good atmosphere. A covered semi outdoor area with a log fire. A good selection of ales. We had pizza and had plenty to take away with us. The food others had looked good too.

Only 9 out of 10 as I have a general issue with campsite showers. Don’t owners realise that when it is wet you walk water and muck in. With no duck board or anything else to stand on after your shower you have to stand on a mucky floor with wet feet. Also something to sit on for when drying feet would be good. Oh, the lights switched off before I finished too.

In spite of that little rant we like this place and may well come again on our next trip as we feel it is good value.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

05Oct18.

A nice walk in the bush to the beach. Take care, there have been a few slips on the way.

It joins up with the Snout Track, see separate review.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

29Oct18.

We love this walk especially as there is the cafe at the top. The walk is not too strenuous and includes the forest element and the open areas near the top. Great views.

Great cafe.

A longer walk down if the weather is ok.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

01Oct18.

A car park by the beach. Toilets but not 24hr. Cold shower in open. Free!

9/10 for what it does. Nothing special but an ok place to keep costs down.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

This is not a separate site to the Grey River site.

Same place. There is a dump station and waste bins

Reviewed about 6 years ago

14Oct18.

Free for non powered but powered are available now. We stayed free. Don’t know what cost for powered.

Loads of level sites, I think all with access to water.

We stayed free as we ate in the restaurant/pub. Good food and beer. Two large TVs were playing Irish Folk videos. Not our scene but ok.

It seems like we were right under the mountains. It was cloudy when we arrived but clear first thing in the morning. Great views of the snow covered mountains.

We enjoyed it. I think we will go back when we do our next trip. Sooner the better!

Reviewed about 6 years ago

31Oct18.

Great big site away from it all. Powered site was $42 for 2 of us. Book online or at the store down the road. They are really helpful and friendly there.

Ok toilets and showers. Laundry still $3 each for washer and drier. Find them in the room signed “Telephone”!

A good base for some of the nearby walks.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

21Oct18.

2 on powered site in motorhome. $40 per night. WiFi extra. Good service from reception.

We were nearest the facilities block nearest the lake. 2 sets of loos and showers, one closed for spring cleaning but I think the remaining was adequate even tho Labour Weekend. Shower was one of the best in our 6 weeks of travel. Could do with hairdryers. There is another block further up the site. We didn’t check that one.

The lake can be seen through/under the trees down by the lake. The far mountains were snow covered when we were there and are beautiful.

We like this site as it is in easy walking distance to town and the lake. There are plenty of eating and drinking places and the quirky Paradiso Cinema.

The site is undergoing improvements and maintenance. We were last here in 2014 and I think it is a lot better than before. We hope to come back to NZ and will then certainly come here again. One of our favourite campsites in one of our favourite places.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

03Oct18, 1 night before departing on the ferry to Picton.

Space for quite a few campers but no specific spaces for longer ones. Ours is 7.7m so took 2 spaces. There are few options for this.

Anyhow, it’s free and the public toilets are good although not open until 8.30am.

A long walk to the city centre but do-able for walkers.

Traffic noise most of the night and the planes kick in fairly early in the morning. Ear plugs recommended. Debated whether to give 9 or 10 points. Dropped the 1 because of noise.

Make sure you get to the dump station early enough to queue and get to the ferry in time.

As we were leaving there were some guys marking out for new white lines. Perhaps someone with a later update can give details of what the result is.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

15Oct18.

From Hanmer Springs go past the picnic area entrance to the next entrance.

I think there were eventually 10 vans that night. Park considerately and there is room. Mostly level.

Flush loos although they had not recently been serviced when we were there.

Good bush walks on the other side of the road. Good.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

23Oct18.

2 of us in large motorhome. Free gives it a lot of marks! A large space for plenty of vans. We parked right by the water near the boat ramp, not too far from the toilets.

Toilets. It looked like 2 portaloos had been placed in the original loo entrances. Perhaps the originals will be replaced indue course? The problem with the portaloos is they are plastic and it was hot when we were there. We didn’t venture in them but preferred to use our own loo and the public loos in Cromwell the next morning.

Noise. The young uns were awake a while but not too noisy. We used to be young once.... The road noise was noticeable as the road is not too far away. Perhaps it would be better in a different part of the site but I expect it is luck of the draw as to the level of traffic going by.

Good surroundings. A good stopover to keep the budget level down. Have been before and expect to again.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

08Oct18.

The walk is like many others but the springs were what we went for. Last visited in 2014 and still as good. Fascinating to watch the water welling up and breaking the surface. So clear. Good viewing platform. Check out the Dancing Sand spring.

The boards at the start of the walk are interesting too.

We remember there used to be spring water on tap in the picnic area but it appears no longer the case. A pity.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

13Oct18.

Go down the slope and there is a gravel space to the right. We stayed there. It is a little exposed to the weather. Go further along the track and there are other spaces. They look a little more sheltered.

Nowhere to say it is ok to stay there but there were a few campers there. Nowhere saying you have to pay or any means of doing so. No facilities at all.

Right next to the Store cafe. A good place for morning coffee, cake or breakfast. They also have loos.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

27Oct18.

Powered site for 2. $40 for the night. The pitch looks out over the bay. Great views when we were there as weather good.

5ere is a largish camping area at the back away from the view. Didn’t check that out tho.

This place is in an area that has water restrictions at times so be aware.

Friendly welcome and good facilities.

One of the best things is that you are only 5 minutes away from Fleur’s Place, the restaurant in the old boat shed. We had a good meal there and Fleur is happy to talk to you. We will go back on our next visit to NZ.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

19Oct18.

A good walk through the bush. A few interesting info boards and relics.

Cemetery was interesting. Some of the inscriptions show just how hard life was back then. Quite a few were from Ireland, a couple of them from close to my home in UK.

There could maybe be a bit more info on the way round the walk but it was good nonetheless.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

08Oct18.

A great little stop. Fascinating rock formations and plant growth. We lost count of the number of toys secreted along the way. No maps at the start as some have noted before. Perhaps because summer is not here yet. I doubt the maps would have all the toys anyway, there are so many.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

20Oct18.

Weather dry and warm. A slight breeze so the lake was not mirror flat.

Good walk anyway and a cafe at the end.

Last time we were here it was mirror flat. The downside was it was the eye of the storm. We caught the end of a cyclone when we left!

Reviewed about 6 years ago

31Oct18.

During the walk my rating went up and down a bit. Only 6 as there is no real viewpoint anywhere.

We started with the Acland Waterfall track. Waterfall not so good when we were there.

Back down and onto the Allan’s Track. In places well made. In places very steep, muddy, rooty, slippery, wet, narrow and hard work.

We joined the Deer Spur Track and then the Fern Walk back to the campsite. Quite a longish walk all in.

I quite enjoyed most of it. If you do it, make sure you wear good boots, not worn out or too light footwear as if you do you will slip up. Look out for 4 bottom shaped indentations in the track left by my walking partner!

Reviewed about 6 years ago

20Oct18.

Weather dry and reasonably warm. A well made path to the viewpoint but very steep in places. Also a bit of rock hopping over water but not too bad.

There are 2 400m sections saying “no stopping” as rockfalls are likely.

The view is good but the glacier is a long way off.

It might be a good idea to go sooner rather than later. We were here in 2006 and the glacier has receded a lot since then. Back then we were down at water level and not far from the glacier end. We were able to touch lumps of ice. No longer possible although there is a sign at one point saying about guided tours. Didn’t find out more and how close you can get.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

06Oct18.

Nice walk. Ok toilets but better ones the other side of the road by the cafe.

Bridge may be historic but not so pretty. The river is good. A guy had a dip when we were there. He gasped somewhat so I think it was cold!

Reviewed about 6 years ago

27Sept18.

Went to Caltex as described on detail and on board at site. They said it was closed and that the showers and loos were to be rebuilt. However they said as we are self contained we should just go there and stay.

There are 5 concrete pitches with power poles (padlocked). The loos and showers were still there but locked. There is a recycling area adjacent. Quiet.

Nothing special but with power and facilities would be a good site worth the money.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

30Sept18.

The lighthouse is good. How many steps! A lot and steep and it was very windy when we were there. The gravel road is actually quite good. We made the mistake of walking about 3kms to get there. On the plus side we did see a lot of seals.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

27Sept18.

A bit wet when we went so we didn’t get to the top or walk any paths. Cafe closed but out of season so not surprising. Good views from the lower car park, weather permitting

Reviewed about 6 years ago

28Sept18.

Great walk up. Very windy when we were there. Walked up in the evening for sunset then next morning for sunrise, an early start, but not alone.

Go there

Reviewed about 6 years ago

39Sept18.

Great DoC site. Plenty of room although not all perfectly level.

2 flushing loos with basins but no handwash or drying.

Perfect location for the pinnacles.

We went to Cape Palliser lighthouse and stopped here to go to the pinnacles the next day

Reviewed about 6 years ago

23Sept18.

What a find. A large field essentially with loads of rooms for campers of all sizes and free. 2 flushing loos in the adjacent park. Quiet

Reviewed about 6 years ago

24Sept18.

Wow, first review. How come? A nice walk, steep in places, with some good views at the top.

We camped on the beach below so had to do this one. Glad we did.

A nice pub down at the marina for a beer after. Not much lighting on the way back though.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

30Sept18.

What a great place to stay. A reasonably secluded car park with flush loos nearby. A bit of sand over some of the spaces, I expect they would be cleared before the summer season.

Close to the lighthouse and Castle Rock walks.

Ok, so a long way (67kms) along a one way road to get there but worth it. Will prob go again on our next trip

Reviewed about 6 years ago

22Sept18.

We loved this place when we came in 2014 and think we will always come back when we visit from UK. Make sure you go up to the somewhat scary stream outlet. Water coming out of the ground at 98degrees c!

Various pools and popular with the locals by the look of it and not surprising.

Reviewed about 6 years ago

24Sept18.

Right on the beach. One flushing, singing toilet as previously described. Limited repertoire tho. Starts with “All the world needs now” and if you take long enough over your business you get “Evergreen”. The same with all the other singing toilets we have used elsewhere.

Kids playground adjacent. My wife enjoyed the swing.

A bit of noise from the timber works and port along the beach but not too bad.

Reviewed about 6 years ago