Punakaiki Beach Camp

We had read reviews before booking two nights at the Punakaiki Beach Camp so had a fair idea of what it would be like. The location is amazing as others have said. The ocean on one side, the river/lagoon on the other. Big cliffs at the back as well as the Pororari Riber track and other beautiful walks. Punakaiki pancake rocks just down the road, the Punakaiki Rocks Tavern around the corner. We booked one cabin and one tent site. The cabin was a family cabin which had two rooms with two bunk beds in one and a double bed, mini fridge and table in the other room. It also had an electric kettle and some mugs (but no water in the room). We loved the little deck out the back and ate our meals there. Overall the cabin was fine, definitely a rustic kiwi bach style . The camp site was good and as per our request was close to the cabin and the toilets which was great. The camp was very busy, there were loads of people staying. The facilities (kitchen, bathrooms) were very very busy during peak hours and people tended to sit at the tables in the kitchen area (very cramped space) which didn’t leave much room to get past to use the sinks etc. The showers were hot but you had to push the button every 20 seconds to keep the water flowing. The facilities are not really up to the number of people staying at the camp, if they renovated the facilities it would be a huge improvement. The lady at the desk was rude upon arrival unfortunately. If you go there expecting it it’s still very disappointing but not as shocking (as it would have been if we hadn’t read reviews). Since we’d read reviews we knew some people had experienced rudeness from the staff but didn’t expect our very first interaction to be rude! I also witnessed the lady speaking with young tourists and being rude to them as well. So a very mixed review!

This is the 4th and final year we have camped with a group at this campsite. Booking has always been difficult as staff members forget bookings, payments and site requests but we persevered given the location is gorgeous. However year on year the facilities have had more and more issues such as washing machines and dryers breaking down or leaving marks on clothes, sites flooding during rain, showers/hot water not working, gardens being overgrown into sites and a site map that doesn't reflect the actual layout of the camping areas. Because of the location you could brush off one or two of these issues but when they are the same each visit it shows a lack of maintenance from the management. Particularly that these things are happening in peak season. The facilities are also overloaded as so many campers arrive meaning long lines for toilets and showers. Prices have recently been raised however no effort has been made to improve the experience to reflect this. Usually when you book year on year with a Campground you build a rapport with the staff but we along with others received service that made us feel that our booking was a hassle for them more than anything else. I love the location and there is a lot to do in the area but the Beach camp is expensive for its outdated/overloaded facilities and the management leaves a lot to be desired.

Good: great location with Paparoa track, rugged beach, walks, views, cafe's. Bad: wifi only works in the kitchen area. Bad: expensive. In all our camping ground we stayed at in the sth island it was the most expensive. Bad: it rained the entire week we were there - obviously not the camping grounds fault but drainage was an issue. Bad: sites are far away from the one toilet block. Bad: showers are terrible. Plumbing issues meant either only hot came out and was scorching or freezing cold. The push button timer for water was annoying, only lasting for about 20 seconds. Bad: I asked if at front desk if there was bike hire around and they said no but right next door I found bike hire. It's a shame they don't support other community business. Bad: the idyllic photos on website showing the river are a bit misleading. It's a bit of a walk to get there. And you have to get the right time for tides. No wifi was the biggest problem for us as we depended on it for work.