Where to find the best DOC campsites in New Zealand

Manaia Armstrong loves his job. As a Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger in Mimiwhangata for the past seven years, one of his roles has been to caretake the Waikahoa Bay Camping site.

But it’s not just living in paradise that makes this so special, it’s the side of humanity he sees that really makes his heart swell.

“I love my job”, says Armstrong.

“We have people who have been coming here for 20 years, and I get to watch them decompress and let go of all the stress they are carrying and just be themselves.”

Waikahoa is one of 325 DOC campsites nationwide, and definitely one of the more rustic ones.

While some places have flushing toilets and hot showers, Waikahoa rolls with four long drops.

“The toilets get a bit stinky in the heat, and there’s only one rickety cold shower under this pohutukawa tree; it really does kind of scream, Footrot Flats. But it doesn’t matter when they are coming for that blue stuff in front of them - on a really nice day, you could be in Bora Bora.”

Armstrong lives on-site and, from the beginning of his tenure, made sure he really engaged with all campers; partly because he’s that kind of guy, but also to create a feeling of community, which is very helpful in the crazy, busy times.

“From the time I arrived, I knew good communication would be important, so I just park up next to each tent every day on my horse, have a chin wag and get to know everyone. People just sit out on their deck chairs and want to have a yarn about how Mimiwhangata has been going - the possums, the dotterels. There's a very kind of environmental feel in the air.”

He also made sure to continue the tradition set up by parents at least 20 years ago of the annual New Year’s Eve talent show.

“You know, you get some talent, then you get some cringe moments, but it all adds to the atmosphere.”

He gets all sorts here - actors, lawyers, architects, people in high-powered jobs and some less so - all looking for a place to escape.

“This place is the perfect mental let-down, right? Like a lot of stuff they do in those two weeks, they wouldn't be caught dead doing in their own home or social structures, right? Early nights, dinners put together from whatever, guys who kick back with no shirt on, guts hanging out, and couldn't care less, because they are not feeling judged. It’s really great.”

And the kids love it too.

“They get into face paint and turn into like, what do they call it? Lord of the Flies? They even go possum hunting. And then they'll tell me ‘Look, Manaia, look how many possums we got last night. ’ Back in the day, I would sometimes give them a bit of a skinning workshop and show them what they could make out of it, like a little jacket.”

Armstrong handles all maintenance, including toilet cleaning.

“I have won a lot of hearts that way, because my wife's quite pedantic about cleaning and she’s trained me well - they know that come five o'clock, when I'm doing my checks, I'll go up there. I'll get the Janola and give it a good scrub.”

His genuine connections with everyone means he also knows whose tent to go to when there’s an issue, and a plumber or a builder’s skills may come in handy.

It also means everyone helps monitor any difficult behaviour.

“If someone was playing their ghetto blaster too loud, plenty of people will just say, 'Hey, I don't know if you know the rules around here. If you want to play your sounds, you just play them in your tent in here, because there are other people around you, right?’ It's a bit self-governing.”

While Waikahoa is at the basic end of the scale ($20 per adult per night) DOC campgrounds come in a few different tiers.

Serviced campsites like Momorangi Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound and Peel Forest in Canterbury are the most equipped (up to $28 a night for a powered site), with facilities such as flushing toilets, tap water, kitchen benches, hot showers, rubbish collection and road access for all vehicles - some also include extras like laundry facilities, barbecues, fireplaces, cookers and picnic tables).

But standard and basic sites will have a lot less, some only a long drop and a tap for running water. Out of 325 total, 200 are bookable online, so many are still first-come, first-served.

This can get a bit tricky when people try to get around the system.

Each campsite has its own nuances on rules, depending on who is managing it (some don’t have anyone on site on a daily basis) but sometimes people pay for an extra week, set the tent up pre Christmas and then come back after the 25th.

“They call it ghost tenting, it’s frowned upon and if the site is popular people get dobbed in pretty quick by others,” says Armstrong.

All DOC sites will have a limit so that it doesn’t get too crowded, so if you are going to a non-bookable one, it sometimes pays to call ahead and see if anyone can give you a steer on how busy it is.

DOC campgrounds are often in some of the country's most beautiful spots. Julie Nicholson has been to many of them, particularly in the South Island, over the last 30 years.

“We really enjoy DOC sites - they are always pretty relaxed and in general people are pretty considerate of each other.

"We love Totaranui in Golden Bay, and there's a lovely one at White's Bay near Blenheim, with a tiny, beautiful little beach which is quite secluded. One of our favourites is a huge area called Mavora Lake in Fiordland, which is stunning with mountains, lakes and forest. Cascade Creek is just beautiful, too, and White Horse [in Mt Cook National Park] is so scenic with its alpine views - sometimes at night you can hear the snow, like avalanches way up in the mountains. Slab Creek is all surrounded by bush, and kids even pan for gold in the creek.”

The North Island isn’t short of showstopper sites either. Waikawau Bay Campsite in the Coromandel, with its classic white-sand beach setting, is a perennial favourite. Uretiti Beach Campsite just screams quintessential Kiwi summer fun, and Matai Bay, further north, has water clearer than your wildest dreams.

If you have a boat, Urupukapuka Island and Motuihi Island are very popular for their rugged beauty and at Motuihi, you can even see tuatara and little spotted kiwi at night (it was the site of Auckland's quarantine station for 50 years, a prisoner of war camp, and a naval training base).

If you opt for one of the more basic sites, there’s plenty you can do to make it work well.

A quick search through popular camping Facebook pages like the hugely popular NZ Fun Adventures Camping will tell you to buy a collapsible sink or bucket for washing up, a cheap blue tarp for under a tent floor, on the ground outside, or strung up for wind or rain shelter- or even a USB rechargeable fan to keep you cool.

Some swear by a curious combo of Dettol and baby oil for repelling mozzies, while others say the Mosquito Zapper & Lantern from Super Cheap Auto or the Thermacell Graphite Mini Halo Insect Repeller are the only way to go.

Experienced campers on these pages say lots of good lighting is key - especially solar, as is a washing line with plenty of pegs.

Many say little folding footstools are a must (they can be a seat, a footrest or somewhere to balance your wine, if you put a bread board on top). And if you don’t have a mini fridge, filling two litre bottles with water, freezing them and putting them in your chilly bin is a great tip - apparently if you put your frozen mince right at the bottom it will be fine for a couple of days till you cook it - and keep things cool as a bonus.