Holiday Parks ON The West Coast | MOTORHOMEingLife

In summer at the popular spots, yes. The glacier-town parks around Franz Josef and Fox and the Punakaiki parks like Punakaiki Beach Camp book out in the December to February peak because there are few sites in those hotspots, so reserve powered sites with electric ahead. The larger town parks at Greymouth and Hokitika have more capacity and are easier, often bookable a day or two out except at the height of summer. Outside the peak the whole Coast is quiet and cheap, and you can travel loosely, mixing paid park nights with first-come DOC sites as the weather dictates.

Very. This is one of the wettest inhabited places in the country, with the Southern Alps wringing rain out of the Tasman weather systems day after day. It rains in summer as well as winter, so packing wet-weather gear even in January is not optional. The upside is that the rain is what creates the rainforest, the roaring waterfalls and the glacial rivers that make the Coast so spectacular. We plan around it by booking powered sites so we can run a heater and dry out, keeping driving days short with weather buffers, and treating any settled, sunny spell as a bonus to grab while it lasts.

Yes, and it is one of the joys of the Coast. Both Paparoa National Park at Punakaiki and Westland Tai Poutini around the glaciers are managed by the Department of Conservation, and DOC campsites through the parks and at spots like Lake Kaniere put you right in the rainforest and beside the rivers. These sites are basic, mostly first-come or with a small online booking fee for the popular ones, and they have no power and cold showers, so they suit self-contained rigs. For a hot shower and a powered site to dry out, base at a town holiday park and day-trip into the parks between DOC nights.

The main coastal highway, SH6, is fine for a large motorhome or caravan, but it is long, with big gaps between towns and services, so fuel discipline matters. The tougher driving is on the alpine passes that link the Coast to the rest of the South Island: SH73 over Arthur's Pass, with the steep, tight Otira Gorge, and SH7 over the Lewis Pass. Both are manageable in good conditions taken slowly in low gear, but they are winding and can close in winter snow. We plan shorter days than the distances suggest, leave weather buffers, and always check pass status before committing to an alpine exit.

At every town you pass, without exception. The West Coast has long stretches of SH6 with no fuel, and the glacier towns of Franz Josef and Fox charge a premium, so the habit that keeps you out of trouble is topping up in Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika whenever you can, where fuel and LPG are cheaper and reliably available. Running the tank low between towns is a genuine risk on a region this spread out. We fill up even at half a tank if the next town is a long way south, and we buy the bulk of our fuel in the main service towns rather than the glacier villages.

They are a real feature of West Coast camping, and pretending otherwise sets you up for a miserable time. Sandflies are worst near the rivers, beaches and rainforest, which is exactly where you want to camp, and they come out in force at dawn and dusk. The defence is simple but constant: carry strong repellent and reapply it, wear long layers at dusk, and keep the rig's doors and screens shut. They are more of an annoyance than a danger, but they will drive you inside if you are unprepared. Autumn tends to be a little easier for them than the peak of spring and summer.

Greymouth and Hokitika are the two strongest bases, both with full services and comfortable holiday parks. Greymouth Seaside TOP 10 Holiday Park sits right on the beach and is handy for Punakaiki to the north and the passes east, while Hokitika Holiday Park is central for the Hokitika Gorge, Lake Kaniere and the run south to the glaciers. Because the Coast is so long, most people do not settle in one base but move steadily south, staying a night or two in each area. If you want just one comfortable town stop with everything nearby, Greymouth or Hokitika is the call.

Yes. There are public dump stations at Greymouth, Hokitika, Westport and the glacier towns, and the holiday parks let paying guests empty their tanks on site. Given how spread out the Coast is, we make a habit of servicing the tanks whenever we are in a main town rather than waiting, topping up fresh water and emptying grey and black water in Greymouth, Hokitika or Westport before heading into the national parks or down toward the glaciers. The DOC sites have no dump facilities, so if you are stringing together wilderness nights, sort your tanks in town first and plan your route around the service points.

Late summer to autumn, roughly February to April, is the sweet spot, because it delivers the Coast's best settled spells, slightly fewer sandflies and good value on powered sites. Summer proper is mild and green but still wet, and it is when the glacier and Punakaiki parks book out, so reserve ahead. Spring is lush and rainy with high, dramatic rivers and waterfalls but plenty of sandflies. Winter is cool, very wet and moody, quiet and cheap, with snow closing the passes, and it suits travellers who do not mind the weather and want a powered site with a heater. Autumn is our overall pick.

The main ones are. Greymouth Seaside TOP 10, Hokitika Holiday Park and Greymouth Kiwi Holiday Park stay open through winter, catering to the steady trickle of travellers doing the Coast in the off-season. The glacier-town parks generally stay open too, since the glaciers are a year-round draw. Facilities may be reduced and some cabins closed in the quietest, wettest months, so phone ahead between May and September. Because West Coast winters are wet and cool rather than snowbound at sea level, off-season touring is workable if you embrace the moody weather, and a powered site with a heater to dry out is essential rather than a luxury here.

Yes. Franz Josef and Fox, in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, both sit on SH6 and have holiday parks and DOC sites nearby, so you can base right by the glaciers and walk the valley tracks to the viewpoints or take a guided or heli experience. The towns are small, with limited and pricier supplies and fuel, so stock up and fuel in Hokitika before heading south. The valley walks are weather-dependent and the rivers run high after rain, so pick a settled day for the best views. Book powered sites in the glacier towns ahead in summer, as the small parks fill quickly.

Yes, and on the West Coast that matters more than almost anywhere. The established parks, including Greymouth Seaside TOP 10, Hokitika Holiday Park, Punakaiki Beach Camp and Coast Road Holiday Park, all offer powered sites with electric hook-up rated for normal campervan and caravan use, which runs a heater, fridge and chargers and, crucially, lets you dry wet clothes and boots after a rainy day. Given the constant damp, a powered site with a heater is essential kit here, not a comfort. Confirm the amperage when you book if you run heavy appliances, and bring your own approved lead. The DOC sites have no power at all.

It is spectacular, but it suits travellers who go in with clear expectations rather than nervous first-timers wanting easy conditions. The scenery, glaciers, rainforest, Pancake Rocks and wild beaches, is world-class and unlike anywhere else, but the long drives on SH6, the relentless rain, the sandflies and the sparse services make it more demanding than the sunnier, gentler regions. If it is your first Kiwi trip, pair the Coast with an easier region either side, keep your driving days short, book powered sites in the hotspots ahead, and lean on the town parks like Greymouth Seaside TOP 10 and Hokitika Holiday Park to dry out and reset between the big wilderness days.

In summer at the popular spots, yes. The glacier-town parks around Franz Josef and Fox and the Punakaiki parks like Punakaiki Beach Camp book out in the December to February peak because there are few sites in those hotspots, so reserve powered sites with electric ahead. The larger town parks at Greymouth and Hokitika have more capacity and are easier, often bookable a day or two out except at the height of summer. Outside the peak the whole Coast is quiet and cheap, and you can travel loosely, mixing paid park nights with first-come DOC sites as the weather dictates.

Very. This is one of the wettest inhabited places in the country, with the Southern Alps wringing rain out of the Tasman weather systems day after day. It rains in summer as well as winter, so packing wet-weather gear even in January is not optional. The upside is that the rain is what creates the rainforest, the roaring waterfalls and the glacial rivers that make the Coast so spectacular. We plan around it by booking powered sites so we can run a heater and dry out, keeping driving days short with weather buffers, and treating any settled, sunny spell as a bonus to grab while it lasts.

Yes, and it is one of the joys of the Coast. Both Paparoa National Park at Punakaiki and Westland Tai Poutini around the glaciers are managed by the Department of Conservation, and DOC campsites through the parks and at spots like Lake Kaniere put you right in the rainforest and beside the rivers. These sites are basic, mostly first-come or with a small online booking fee for the popular ones, and they have no power and cold showers, so they suit self-contained rigs. For a hot shower and a powered site to dry out, base at a town holiday park and day-trip into the parks between DOC nights.

The main coastal highway, SH6, is fine for a large motorhome or caravan, but it is long, with big gaps between towns and services, so fuel discipline matters. The tougher driving is on the alpine passes that link the Coast to the rest of the South Island: SH73 over Arthur's Pass, with the steep, tight Otira Gorge, and SH7 over the Lewis Pass. Both are manageable in good conditions taken slowly in low gear, but they are winding and can close in winter snow. We plan shorter days than the distances suggest, leave weather buffers, and always check pass status before committing to an alpine exit.

At every town you pass, without exception. The West Coast has long stretches of SH6 with no fuel, and the glacier towns of Franz Josef and Fox charge a premium, so the habit that keeps you out of trouble is topping up in Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika whenever you can, where fuel and LPG are cheaper and reliably available. Running the tank low between towns is a genuine risk on a region this spread out. We fill up even at half a tank if the next town is a long way south, and we buy the bulk of our fuel in the main service towns rather than the glacier villages.

They are a real feature of West Coast camping, and pretending otherwise sets you up for a miserable time. Sandflies are worst near the rivers, beaches and rainforest, which is exactly where you want to camp, and they come out in force at dawn and dusk. The defence is simple but constant: carry strong repellent and reapply it, wear long layers at dusk, and keep the rig's doors and screens shut. They are more of an annoyance than a danger, but they will drive you inside if you are unprepared. Autumn tends to be a little easier for them than the peak of spring and summer.

Greymouth and Hokitika are the two strongest bases, both with full services and comfortable holiday parks. Greymouth Seaside TOP 10 Holiday Park sits right on the beach and is handy for Punakaiki to the north and the passes east, while Hokitika Holiday Park is central for the Hokitika Gorge, Lake Kaniere and the run south to the glaciers. Because the Coast is so long, most people do not settle in one base but move steadily south, staying a night or two in each area. If you want just one comfortable town stop with everything nearby, Greymouth or Hokitika is the call.

Yes. There are public dump stations at Greymouth, Hokitika, Westport and the glacier towns, and the holiday parks let paying guests empty their tanks on site. Given how spread out the Coast is, we make a habit of servicing the tanks whenever we are in a main town rather than waiting, topping up fresh water and emptying grey and black water in Greymouth, Hokitika or Westport before heading into the national parks or down toward the glaciers. The DOC sites have no dump facilities, so if you are stringing together wilderness nights, sort your tanks in town first and plan your route around the service points.

Late summer to autumn, roughly February to April, is the sweet spot, because it delivers the Coast's best settled spells, slightly fewer sandflies and good value on powered sites. Summer proper is mild and green but still wet, and it is when the glacier and Punakaiki parks book out, so reserve ahead. Spring is lush and rainy with high, dramatic rivers and waterfalls but plenty of sandflies. Winter is cool, very wet and moody, quiet and cheap, with snow closing the passes, and it suits travellers who do not mind the weather and want a powered site with a heater. Autumn is our overall pick.

The main ones are. Greymouth Seaside TOP 10, Hokitika Holiday Park and Greymouth Kiwi Holiday Park stay open through winter, catering to the steady trickle of travellers doing the Coast in the off-season. The glacier-town parks generally stay open too, since the glaciers are a year-round draw. Facilities may be reduced and some cabins closed in the quietest, wettest months, so phone ahead between May and September. Because West Coast winters are wet and cool rather than snowbound at sea level, off-season touring is workable if you embrace the moody weather, and a powered site with a heater to dry out is essential rather than a luxury here.

Yes. Franz Josef and Fox, in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, both sit on SH6 and have holiday parks and DOC sites nearby, so you can base right by the glaciers and walk the valley tracks to the viewpoints or take a guided or heli experience. The towns are small, with limited and pricier supplies and fuel, so stock up and fuel in Hokitika before heading south. The valley walks are weather-dependent and the rivers run high after rain, so pick a settled day for the best views. Book powered sites in the glacier towns ahead in summer, as the small parks fill quickly.

Yes, and on the West Coast that matters more than almost anywhere. The established parks, including Greymouth Seaside TOP 10, Hokitika Holiday Park, Punakaiki Beach Camp and Coast Road Holiday Park, all offer powered sites with electric hook-up rated for normal campervan and caravan use, which runs a heater, fridge and chargers and, crucially, lets you dry wet clothes and boots after a rainy day. Given the constant damp, a powered site with a heater is essential kit here, not a comfort. Confirm the amperage when you book if you run heavy appliances, and bring your own approved lead. The DOC sites have no power at all.

It is spectacular, but it suits travellers who go in with clear expectations rather than nervous first-timers wanting easy conditions. The scenery, glaciers, rainforest, Pancake Rocks and wild beaches, is world-class and unlike anywhere else, but the long drives on SH6, the relentless rain, the sandflies and the sparse services make it more demanding than the sunnier, gentler regions. If it is your first Kiwi trip, pair the Coast with an easier region either side, keep your driving days short, book powered sites in the hotspots ahead, and lean on the town parks like Greymouth Seaside TOP 10 and Hokitika Holiday Park to dry out and reset between the big wilderness days.