Top 19 places to stay in New Zealand with a camper van

If you are planning a camper van road trip in New Zealand and are looking for a list of recommended holiday parks to stay – hooray, this is the definitive print-out-and-keep post on the top 19 places to stay in New Zealand with a camper. We spent five weeks driving across New Zealand from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, and this list covers every place we stayed during our amazing road trip.

For a more comprehensive guide and detailed descriptions of everywhere we camped and everything we did click here.

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Top 19 places to stay New Zealand with a camper van

NORTH ISLAND

BAY OF ISLANDS
Top 10 Holiday Park, Russell
www.russelltop10.co.nz
Address: 1 James St, Russell 0202, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Quiet, well-positioned close to the town of Russell and smoke-free.

OREWA BEACH (One-hour north of Auckland)
Orewa Top 10 Holiday Park
www.orewaholidaypark.co.nz
Address: 265 Hibiscus Coast Hwy, Orewa 0931, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Easy drive from Auckland, gateway to the Bay of Islands and right on the beach.

AUCKLAND
Avondale Motor Park
www.avondalemotorpark.co.nz
Address: 46 Bollard Ave, New Windsor, Owairaka 0600, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Proximity to Auckland with easy access by public transport.

THE COROMANDEL / HOT WATER BEACH
Hot Water Beach Top 10
www.hotwaterbeachtop10.co.nz
Address: 790 Hot Water Beach Road, Hot Water Beach 3591, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Walking distance to Hot Water Beach, large park with good facilities and a good chip shop.

WAIHI BEACH
Beachaven Kiwi Holiday Park
www.beachaven.co.nz/content/Facilities/32.aspx
Address: 21 Leo Street, Waihi Beach 3611, New Zealand
Why we liked it: This cute campsite had a residential feel was a block from the beach. It had a great kitchen, manicured garden area and free body board rental.

ROTORUA
Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park
www.rotoruatop10.co.nz
Address: 1495 Pukuatua St, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Why we liked it: It had its own natural natural hot tubs!

WAITOMO CAVES
Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park
www.waitomopark.co.nz
Address: 12 Waitomo Village Rd, Waitomo 3977, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Close to all the cave tour companies and it had a pool.

LAKE TAUPO
Great Lake Taupo Holiday Park
greatlake.co.nz
Address: 406 Acacia Bay Rd, Nukuhau, Taupo 3377, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Location – right on the lake and a short drive to the town.

WELLINGTON
Wellington Top 10
www.wellingtontop10.co.nz
Address: 95 Hutt Park Rd, Moera, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Wellington is compact and so, as expected, most of the decent camping areas are outside the city. This park had lots of space, plenty of kitchen areas and a hot tub, free for guests. The bus from across the road takes you directly into Wellington and takes around 30 mins.

19 PLACES TO STAY IN NEW ZEALAND WITH A CAMPER VAN

SOUTH ISLAND

THE INTERISLANDER FERRY
www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/interislander
We took the Interislander ferry to the south island, which was NZD $208 / £108 per camper. The journey is actually three-hours and like everywhere else in New Zealand, the view was stunning.

ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK
Pohara Beach Top 10 Holiday Park
www.top10.co.nz/park/pohara-beach-top-10-holiday-park
Address: 809 Abel Tasman Dr, Pohara 7183, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Situated at the north of Abel Tasman and on the coast of Golden Bay, adjacent to the beach.

ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK (MARAHAU)
The Barn Backpackers
www.barn.co.nz marahau
Address: 14 Harvey Rd, Marahau 7197, New Zealand
Why we liked it: It had a rustic feel and a great atmosphere.

KAIKOURA
Alpine Pacific Motel and Holiday Park
www.alpine-pacific.co.nz
Address: 69 Beach Rd, Kaikoura 7300, New Zealand
Why we liked it: There is a Top 10 in Kaikoura but the prices were unusually high and so we decided to go elsewhere, opting for this small but handy site very close to the main town.

CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch Top 10
www.christchurchtop10.co.nz
Address: 39 Meadow Street,Papanui, Christchurch 8052, New Zealand
Why we liked it: This was a big site with ample space, plus hotel rooms and cabins, but still managed a local, friendly welcome. Use of the indoor hot tub (free for guests) was a real perk. There was a choice of kitchens here and they were spacious and immaculate.

LAKE TEKAPO
Lakefront Lodge
www.laketekapo-accommodation.co.nz
Address: 2 Lakeside Dr, Lake Tekapo 7990, New Zealand
Why we liked it: This privately-owned, quiet campsite couldn’t be in a better location for stunning views across the lake. Facilities were simple, but clean and tidy. The staggered pitches on the hill meant everyone could wake up to this million-dollar view.

MT. COOK NATIONAL PARK
White Horse Hill Campground
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation
Address: 227 Hooker Valley Rd, Mt Cook National Park 7999, New Zealand
Why we liked it: This was our first experience at a government campground and it was absolutely fine. There is no kitchen here, just a covered area for preparing food. No shower and only basic (flushing) toilet facilities, but the location was absolutely perfect. The site is situated in a valley completely surrounded by mountains.

LAKE WANAKA
Wanaka Top Holiday Park
www.wanakatop10.co.nz/image-gallery
Address: 217 Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Rd, Wanaka 9343, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Picturesque campground with stunning views and really good facilities. It had a really good kitchen with a lot of ovens and a large range of utensils!

TE ANAU (gateway to Milford Sound).
Te Anau Top 10 Holiday Park
www.teanautop10.co.nz/accommodation/caravan-and-camping/non-powered-site.html
Address: 128 Te Anau Terrace, Te Anau 9600, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Good location with easy access to the main town.

QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown Top 10
www.qtowntop10.co.nz
Address: 70 Arthurs Point Rd, Queenstown 9371, New Zealand
Why we liked it: Free shuttle into Queenstown and large kitchen with good facilities. Plus – a camp cat! If you are using sat nav to get to this park, be careful as I believe it moved locations a few years ago and we ended up in the wrong place!

Read our guide to the Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip here.

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Need more inspiration? SIX THINGS YOU MUST DO IN NEW ZEALAND