New Zealanders are pretty good at heading for the hills. With a culture steeped in the outdoors and the surrounding areas of just about every town cloaked
GO NZ: New Zealand s best value campervan sites and motorparks off the beaten track
16 Mar, 2021 04:59 PM
9 minutes to read
Paying our way round New Zealand s best motor parks and camper sites. Photo / Hanson Lu, Unsplash
NZ Herald
By: Sarah Bennett
My husband Lee and I have just passed a major milestone: 500 nights in the Hiace Hilton , the little campervan we kitted out in 2011. Before that, we tented out of the back of a Nissan Bluebird. The last two decades have left us hopelessly addicted to camping the Kiwi way. I certainly never envisaged this during my childhood holidays relegated to a sandfly-infested awning at Nelson Lakes.
This easy 2.5km track is mostly flat and passes through some of the best mixed podocarp/broadleaf forest in the park. For those who want a bit more of a challenge, a side trip up to the Rocky Lookout is worth the effort for a stunning view of the valley and is a great place for a lunch stop. There is plenty to see and do on this 2.5-hour track close to the capital. You walk through different forest types and there’s a swimming hole at the bridge for you to cool down in. This walk is popular with day hikers so can get a bit busy. There are quite a few river crossings to get to the other huts, so it’s best to check the flow of the Ōrongorongo River before you go.