CAMPING THE KIWI WAY

While the weather promised overcast and at times rainy days, we had already pre-booked our spot at Mohaka River Farm this January.

We had an amazing sunny drive down to Napier on Monday following the directions until we got to the unsealed roads leading to Mohaka River Farm. Guests who are towing with a 2WD vehicle are advised to ring up before attempting to climb the hill leading to the entrance of the farm so they could have someone assist. more: mohakariverfarm.co.nz

There were a lot of works going on around the farm at the time of our visit (fencing, clearing brush and trees and widening pathways) which we guessed were an aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

We chose a spot right to the end of the campground but one that had a commanding view of the river and wind farm in the distance. Being in an unpowered site, we also wanted to have clear access to the sky as we had solar panels on the camper and car (which was definitely put to the test during this week-long stay).

Mohaka River Farm is a family run facility offering not just powered and unpowered sites but also chalets and cottages. There are a selection of walking and cycling tracks (although some were closed at the time due to clearing works). 

There’s also an amazing option to go around on horseback. It is a working farm so unfortunately pets are not allowed. The people who run the place are super friendly and hold craft and farm experiences for the whole family such as pottery, wallet making, candle making and the likes. So while we’ve had a mixture of rainy, cloudy and sunny days, there were plenty of things to do to keep us occupied.

It is definitely a place we would recommend to fellow campers and one we would be visiting again with friends and family in tow.