CAMPING THE KIWI WAY

SH60 begins in Richmond, travels through Motueka and Takaka and ends after 117km at Collingwood.

Richmond is a great little town/suburb south of Nelson, with a complete range of shops, good opshops, a really friendly place to get your COF/WOF, a truck stop, two campgrounds, and a dump station. After driving through the orchards, we slip off the highway to Māpua, a cute seaside village on Ruby Bay. Dont miss the Interactive Wooden Art Gallery which is full of fascinations. Beyond Māpua is the wonderful McKee Memorial Reserve (above & right), a camping reserve between the hill and the shore. You dont need to be self-contained as there are toilets, showers, and a dump station. It’s not free, but low cost.

Kina Beach

Heading to reunite with SH60, instead, turn-off to Kina Beach, another small campground on the sea. There are toilets, so no need to be self-contained. It’s a lovely stop worth at least a couple of nights. Then we head on to get back to SH60 and on to Motueka.

Motueka

There are two freedom camps in Motueka, both in alcohol ban areas, one in the town centre, one by the sea. There are not nearly as many parks as there are freedom campers, but there are also two campgrounds. Motueka has a great range of shops, and opshops, and an excellent dump station. 

There are two camping spots beyond Motueka, both require self-containment, one low cost (Riwaka Hotel) and one free, Riwaka Valley. Instead of heading for the big Tākaka hill, you can turn off SH60 to go to Kaiteriteri and Mārahau, both with campgrounds, spectacular beaches, and easy access to the Abel Tasman National Park.

Takaka Hill

The Tākaka Hill is an entity in its own right. It is the only ground access to Golden Bay, it is steep and windy, and the weather often closes it. When I was there a long stretch was one way with timing lights taking some of the frustration out of the wait. The hill is limestone, there are caves (costs to enter) and there is a free camping spot most of the way up the Motueka side of the hill, Hawke’s Lookout, easier for shorter vehicles than longer ones. There is a great walk to the lookout, and you get to see the sculpted limestone up close.

Over the top of the hill its a long slope down into Golden Bay — lovely views, if you are a passenger, lovely glimpses of you are driving. Golden Bay reminds me of 1960s NZ, it’s not all spiffed-up and moneyed like the Motueka side.

Tākaka

Tākaka is the main town in the bay. There is a free camp in the town car park (leave by 7am!), a dump station, and water from the petrol station (for a donation). 

It’s a central hub for some lovely adventures: Te Waikoropupū Springs, and the original Pupu hydro power station and its walkway, further up the valley. Labyrinth Rocks (especially good on a hot day), Port Tarakohe with its spectacular views (take your tea and watch the sundown), Wainui Falls and Wainui Bay for a day trip, and over the hills beyond is Tōtaranui, and the northern end of the Abel Tasman National Park.

Continuing on SH60, the bay is a beautiful green rural area, with views over the sea from the high spots. There are not many freedom camps, but there’s a campground before the Parapara Inlet, and another at Collingwood itself where SH60 ends.

Collingwood

Collingwood is another small village, with a pub, a grocery and hardware shop, a first/secondhand shop which is “open if we are not closed, 11am to 4pm”. I got my perfect, new, cast-iron omelette pan from this shop. It is a beautiful spot, with stunning picnic spots as well as a lovely campground. 

Collingwood is a great base for adventures beyond. 

The Pākawau Campground, Whanganui Inlet (its the west coast, some free camping spots, narrow roads and causeways; no exit), Wharariki Campground, also on the west coast, beyond the entrance to Pūponga Farm and Cape Farewell.

Farewell Spit has a visitor centre/cafe and you can walk from there to the beaches, but it is a fair hike. To get a real look you need to take a tour which gets you beyond the public boundaries as far as the lighthouse, far out at the end of the spit. Day tours are run out of Collingwood, picking up people along the way.

Take a month

SH60: you could do it in a day. Google says it is a 2 hour drive! 2 hours! Take a month! Plenty to see and do, and lovely every bit of the way. ◊

Photos ©2024 Miriam Richardson