Ocean, Lakes & Rivers: 9 Scenic South Island Camping Spots

New Zealand is the land of campervans.

There’s no shortage of campervans on the roads, in shopping centre carparks or at trailheads. And with increasing numbers of tourists over the years, New Zealand has seen its fair share of environmental abuse and has more or less abolished freedom camping now.

It is a small country and there’s only so much space for people wanting to travel on a budget. New Zealand is beautiful but it isn’t cheap—and this includes campgrounds. And unfortunately, most involve a hefty price tag or are sometimes just a gravel carpark.

That said, over the course of many campervan trips, we have managed to find some gorgeous camping spots in New Zealand. Here are some of the best on the South Island.

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9 SOUTH ISLAND CAMPING SPOTS WE ACTUALLY LIKE

While we’ve done freedom camping on occasion, we’re much more interested in quiet, scenic spots away from civilisation—ideally with clean toilets. It’s also no secret that we love staying in national parks or similar.

So my criteria for a top campsite are really simple:

• peaceful surroundings (a lake, mountains, river or ocean), and
• a genuine respect for ‘leave no trace’ principles.

Many of the car camping DOC spots we’ve stayed at have fallen short, often feeling more like uneven gravel pits with a high price tag.

But we did find a few campgrounds that hit all the criteria. These are nine camping spots on the South Island where we’ve actually enjoyed spending time—listed from north to south.

1. COLLINGWOOD HOLIDAY PARK | GOLDEN BAY

We’re not usually caravan park people but Collingwood Holiday Park is a lovely little park right on the shore of Golden Bay / Mohua in the northwest corner of the South Island. Since it’s so far north, it’s a fair drive from Nelson along slow, windy roads so plan at least two nights here.

They offer powered and unpowered sites as well as cabin accommodation, and for us, it was the perfect spot to decompress after hiking the Heaphy Track. With waterfront sites, I could have sat out there all day (and in fact, I did) and enjoy the views over the bay and the mountain ranges.

Like in most caravan parks, there’s not a lot of privacy and I’m not sure I’d want to be here over the Christmas holidays but during the off-season, it was lovely and whilst not empty, reasonably quiet.

2. KENEPURU HEAD | MARLBOROUGH

After hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track on our second trip to New Zealand, we had about four days to recover and relax in the Marlborough Sound region.

Kenepuru Head turned out to be a brilliant camping spot for a rainy day but in good weather, it’d be even more beautiful. The sound changes dramatically with the tides and you can easily spend a couple of hours beachcombing at low tide.

Located at the end of picturesque Kenepuru Sound, the campground is one big grassy area. It’s not entirely flat but some individual bays and clean facilities make up for that.

There isn’t a lot of walking in the immediate area but after our 5-day hike, we were kind of in the mood for reading and relaxing anyway. But you can do sections of the Queen Charlotte Track if you’re in the mood.

Kenepuru Road is very, very, very windy, and it takes much longer than you may think to get to the campground. Don’t come here if you only have one night, the road’s just too painful to drive and you should really give yourself at least two days to get over it.

3. MARFELLS BEACH | MARLBOROUGH

Like Kenepuru Head, Marfells Beach was a standout campsite on our second New Zealand road trip. We chanced upon it on our way back to Christchurch and we’d have loved to stay a couple of nights.

While sites aren’t particularly private, the beach is right at your doorstep. We had an absolutely glorious sunset and sunrise here. Amenities aren’t super new but they’re absolutely fine for what they are—and you can’t beat the beach location.

We camped outside the main holiday season in September and it was fairly quiet and peaceful here.

4. MARBLE HILL | LEWIS PASS

The Marble Hill Campground is just off State Highway 7 in the subalpine Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve area. These days, it can get quite busy here so make sure you arrive early if you want a more private site—you need to pre-book but you can’t book a specific site.

This camping area offers a few individual gravel-based bays flanked by mountains and overlooking subalpine shrubs and paddocks. Sites are mostly nestled into the forest and best for vehicle-based camping.

There are several hiking tracks, including overnight hikes, in the area but the weather has either not played along for us or we haven’t had time to explore—it’s a good overnight stop if you’re on your way to the West Coast from Christchurch.

One time we went to the nearby Maruia Hot Springs for the afternoon, which were a little less luxurious than I’d expected but still enjoyable.

The mineral water here is quite sulphuric and can leave black residue on swim wear but it’s lovely to just relax in the hot artisanal water, especially at the end of a road trip or hike. You can also camp at the hot springs but it looks a bit too much like a gravel carpark for us with a steep price tag.

5. HANS BAY, LAKE KANIERE | WEST COAST

Hans Bay is DOC campground on the West Coast up near Hokitika. The Hans Bay camping area is beautifully situated on Lake Kaniere, even though it’s right next to the Hans Bay township and barely off the road.

As with a lot of DOC sites, it’s not the most amazing campground per se but the location is fantastic. As it’s along a backroad and bit of a trek inland, it is reasonably quiet and in the off-season doesn’t exactly get overcrowded. Being so close to a town, the amenities were clean as was the campground.

I had really wanted to stay here because I’d read The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton—the lake area plays a bit of a role—and I wasn’t disappointed. The lake is stunning, indeed.

The weather was fresh enough for me to not be tempted for a swim, though the husband jumped right in! It all just depends how thick that dirt is caked on, I guess.

And as so often, we arrived late and didn’t score the best site but the incredible sunrise the next morning and picturesque location totally made up for it.

6. RAKAIA GORGE CAMPGROUND | CANTERBURY

Rakaia Gorge Camping Ground was our first camp spot on our very first NZ road trip many years ago. It ended up being my favourite campsite on that 3-week road trip, and we’ve since returned on other trips.

Rakaia Gorge is a non-profit, community campground that feels really low-key (ie. right up our alley).

It’s grassy with individual bays and an open area overlooking the stunning glacial Rakaia River. The toilets and bathroom facilities are always very clean, and outside the main season and long weekends, the campground tends to be fairly quiet.

There are no powered sites but the views along the river are just gorgeous.

If your van is small, like ours generally is, chances are that you’ll score a sight overlooking the river, especially if you arrive during the off–season.

Just across the bridge from the campground is the fabulous 5km Rakaia Gorge Walkway track that takes you to two lookouts. Don’t miss it!

7. MOKE LAKE | OTAGO

On another trip, we had a couple of days up our sleeve before embarking on our Milford Track hike. So we decided to camp at the DOC campground at Moke Lake near Queenstown (since camping at Twelve Mile Delta had not exactly impressed us on a previous trip).

The camping area is quite large but finding a flat spot for a van is a bit tricky. We found closest to the lake was best.

The facilities were clean, thanks in large part to the lovely campground host, no doubt. Over the spring to autumn season, Moke Lake has a campground host who will seek you out and make sure you’ve paid your fees online—otherwise, it’ll cost you an extra NZ$10 for them to make the booking.

Moke Lake has a kitchen shelter with benches, sinks and cold water. Very convenient.

It can get very busy on weekends and over the summer since it’s so close to Queenstown. The last time we were here was mid-week in April and while it wasn’t empty, it was very quiet.

Side note: The Moke Lake walk is fantastic and definitely worth doing.

8. MILFORD SOUND LODGE | FIORDLAND

There’s only one option for camping around Milford Sound, and it’s an extremely pricey one these days.

There’s no DOC campground and freedom camping is expressly forbidden. Your only option is to stay at the Rainforest Campervan Park at Milford Sound Lodge.

As I’ve said above, we don’t often stay in tourist parks but Milford Sound Lodge is a great one, especially after hiking the Routeburn or the Milford Track, and when you’re in desperate need of a shower and rest.

The campground at the lodge is only available for campervans as sites are on a gravel pitch in the rainforest. They won’t allow you to camp with a rooftop tent or ground tent, or even a caravan now.

The amenities are top notch (though the WiFi can be a bit patchy). We especially appreciated the kitchen and lounge area, and having access to a laundry.

The lodge backs onto the Cleddau River where you can go for an easy stroll.

In recent years, prices have gone up (on our first visit, we paid less than half of what a campsite costs now) but it is your only option if you want to wake up inside Milford Sound.

I highly recommend booking in advance—it is a popular place and sites can book out six months in advance.

9. PURAKAUNUI BAY | OTAGO (CATLINS COAST)

This DOC campground at Purakaunui Bay is not a secret (despite what plenty of blogs tell you).

Located close to the Catlins in the Southeast, it’s off the main road and down a long gravel road. It’s right on the beach and the cliffs surrounding it are quite something.

Like with so many DOC campgrounds, there are no marked areas so whatever looks good to you is fair game.

While everyone set up camp at the edge of the beach and behind the dunes, I didn’t feel like sardine-treatment so we chose a bit further away on the hill. This meant a long walk to the (not great) toilet but in return, we had peace and quiet, and great views overlooking the bay.

There are no hikes within walking distance but a stroll along the beach is a pretty nice option here. Or just hang out for a few days, the views are spectacular (even if the toilet may not be).

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WRAPPING UP

Over the years, we’ve spent weeks and weeks campervanning across New Zealand’s South Island. Our trips are usually in the shoulder seasons, generally April or September, so we have not experienced what camping in New Zealand feels like during the height of summer.

We loved camping at these spots, not only because we had no issues with noise or neighbours but they were all in gorgeous locations or great for what they offered.

That said, it’d be fair to say that we return to New Zealand for its outstanding hiking trails, not the vehicle-based campsite locations. That’s just a bonus. 🙂

Happy camping,

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