​ ​ BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption tiny-pukaki-F.webp The only ones at Lake Pukaki Lou Riches I can’t believe we are the only ones at Lake Pukaki tonight. So incredibly grateful to have captured these skies. ©2023 Lou Riches GO TO Celebrating Summer So incredibly gratefu ​ Up Up ​ , p 10

BUY PDF CONTENTS 5 Spring 2023 Up The only ones at Lake Pukaki Lou Riches Up I can’t believe we are the only ones at Lake Pukaki tonight. So incredibly grateful to have captured these skies. ©2023 Lou Riches Up Up So incredibly gratefu ​ tiny-pukaki-F.webp tiny-pukaki-F.webp 1/1

Click on image for full view and caption tiny-pukaki-F.webp Article title Author Up Up this item , p pageNum GO TO Celebrating Summer Pull quote FC status SEASON 2024 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Feilding, New Zealand ​

Click on image for full view and caption SStay-lake ohau_1MNR218.webp SStay-ohau_MNR1133-2.webp SStay-Bendigo_MNR4811.webp SStay_DOC park Hanmer.webp SStay-Paeroa-museum.webp SStay-VinegarHill.webp SStay-Lake-Aniwhenua.webp SStay-F_lake ohau_1MNR218 copy.webp Article title Author Up Up this item , p pageNum GO TO Celebrating Summer Pull quote FC status SEASON 2024 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Feilding, New Zealand ​

BUY PDF CONTENTS 5 Spring 2023 Up Why not stop and stay a while? Angela Bryan Up Introducing Stop and Stay, where to stop when travelling and camping in NZ — use it, share it, add to it. NZ’s national camping club, All Points Camping, is proud to bring you their growing, nationwide, Stop and Stay listings for campers and travellers. With the NZ Government and local authorities moving to restrict camping access for both traveling NZers and for recreational campers, it is more important than ever to have recommended places to stop and stay. Finding that perfect spot to relax or get together with family and friends is getting harder and you shouldn’t have to belong to specific organisations to get access to an overnight park. Stop and Stay brings you this. It’s a free resource for NZ campers and travellers, brought to you by campers, for campers. Its free, too, for property owners to be on the list. Stop overs come recommended; some are discounted; they are scattered throughout the country: north, south, east or west there is likely to be a Stop and Stay property on your way. It might be a country pub for a meal, a rural property, a council reserve, a DOC camp; it might be a commercial campground to stay at or a unique day-stop or cafe to visit on your travels. Properties are recommended by the camping public, so you know that they are the best places for NZ travelling campers. Remember to always check with hosts first — phone numbers are provided on most listings, and keep in mind that some properties have restrictions. Dog-friendly properties are indicated on each listing, as are wheelchair accessible properties. Anyone one can access the list or make recommendations, not just club members. The listings can be accessed online on any device, they can be downloaded or printed: stopandstaynz.org Can it get any easier? Can’t find a property in the area you are travelling to? Some areas around NZ have more listings than others; we are always keen to add to the current listings, provided the property has come with recommendations from campers. Tell us about your favourite camping spot, no matter where it is, and what makes it special. Is it right off the beach for an easy fish before breakfast, is it a great spot to go camping with the family pooch, is it super family-friendly with great entertainment for the kids? We want to know. It is as easy as filling in a form: ckw.nz/add-one-now Our regional divisions:North Island: Upper NICentral NI Lower NI South Island:Upper SI Lower SI Symbols on each listing make it easy to find the property that suits you at a glance, including seaside, countryside, or mountains.If you want to fish, go boating , tramping or cycling we have pretty much covered all the options. New Zealand has so many hidden, out of the way little places that may not otherwise appear on your radar when you’re looking for that special place to Stop and Stay. If you find A SPOTdon’t keep it a secret: ckw.nz/add-one-now Some of those special places North Island Lake Aniwhenua Reserve,Bay of Plenty, Whakatane FREE This is a freedom camping area with basic toilet and shower facilities and a cooking shelter. The lake is a popular trout fishery and water ski area. Camping in non-self-contained vehicles and tents is allowed. Sites must be left clean. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Toilets, showers, drinking water Activities: Hiking, fishing, swimming, boats and water sports Vinegar Hill, Manawatu Low cost/Free Awesome campsite located right next to the river. A peaceful, council-operated campground, situated just north of Hunterville on the bypass route into the beautiful Manawatu district. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Toilets and cold showers Activities: Fishing, swimming, cycling, hiking Cost: Low cost in summer; free in winter Historic Maritime Museum & Park, Paeroa, Waikato Low cost Five minutes from Paeroa the Historic Maritime Museum and Park has beautifully laid out grounds, river boardwalks and daily boat rides. Who: Caravans, motorhomes, vans:must be self-contained Facilities: Toilets, BBQ’s, fresh water Activities: Hiking, cycling, river boat rides, museum South Island Hanmer Amenity AreaHanmer Springs, Canterbury Free Just behind the DOC fenced compound is a lovely reasonably flat camping area. There’s a stream, several walking and cycling tracks. It’s an easy walk into the town and the famous Hanmer Springs pools. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans: non-self-contained is allowed; dogs allowed. Facilities: Toilets Activities: Hiking, mountain biking, cycling Round Bush CampsiteLake Ohau, Waitaki, Canterbury Free Beautiful beech forest, hung with mistletoe in summer, grows right up to the edge of Lake Ohau. Stunning views of Lake Ohau and the mountains. It’s a gravel road from the Ohau township. Bring insect repellant. Large vehicle access. 4 nights max. DOC. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Non-flush toilet, water from stream. Activities: Boating, swimming, walks, photography. Bendigo freedom campingCromwell – Lindis Crossing Rd Free A beautiful site between the road (SH8) and Lake Dunstan looking across to the Pisa Range. Flush toilets, rubbish bins. 3 nights max. No fires. Some road noise. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Flush toilets, rubbish bins. Activities: swimming, boating, walks. Up Up a growing, nationwide, Stop and Stay listing for campers and travellers ​ SStay-lake ohau_1MNR218.webp SStay-ohau_MNR1133-2.webp SStay-F_lake ohau_1MNR218 copy.webp SStay-lake ohau_1MNR218.webp 1/8

BUY PDF CONTENTS ​ Up Why not stop and stay a while? Angela Bryan Up ​ Introducing Stop and Stay, where to stop when travelling and camping in NZ — use it, share it, add to it. NZ’s national camping club, All Points Camping, is proud to bring you their growing, nationwide, Stop and Stay listings for campers and travellers. With the NZ Government and local authorities moving to restrict camping access for both traveling NZers and for recreational campers, it is more important than ever to have recommended places to stop and stay. Finding that perfect spot to relax or get together with family and friends is getting harder and you shouldn’t have to belong to specific organisations to get access to an overnight park. Stop and Stay brings you this. It’s a free resource for NZ campers and travellers, brought to you by campers, for campers. Its free, too, for property owners to be on the list. Stop overs come recommended; some are discounted; they are scattered throughout the country: north, south, east or west there is likely to be a Stop and Stay property on your way. It might be a country pub for a meal, a rural property, a council reserve, a DOC camp; it might be a commercial campground to stay at or a unique day-stop or cafe to visit on your travels. Properties are recommended by the camping public, so you know that they are the best places for NZ travelling campers. Remember to always check with hosts first — phone numbers are provided on most listings, and keep in mind that some properties have restrictions. Dog-friendly properties are indicated on each listing, as are wheelchair accessible properties. Anyone one can access the list or make recommendations, not just club members. The listings can be accessed online on any device, they can be downloaded or printed: stopandstaynz.org Can it get any easier? Can’t find a property in the area you are travelling to? Some areas around NZ have more listings than others; we are always keen to add to the current listings, provided the property has come with recommendations from campers. Tell us about your favourite camping spot, no matter where it is, and what makes it special. Is it right off the beach for an easy fish before breakfast, is it a great spot to go camping with the family pooch, is it super family-friendly with great entertainment for the kids? We want to know. It is as easy as filling in a form: ckw.nz/add-one-now Our regional divisions:North Island: Upper NICentral NI Lower NI South Island:Upper SI Lower SI Symbols on each listing make it easy to find the property that suits you at a glance, including seaside, countryside, or mountains.If you want to fish, go boating , tramping or cycling we have pretty much covered all the options. New Zealand has so many hidden, out of the way little places that may not otherwise appear on your radar when you’re looking for that special place to Stop and Stay. If you find A SPOTdon’t keep it a secret: ckw.nz/add-one-now Some of those special places North Island Lake Aniwhenua Reserve,Bay of Plenty, Whakatane FREE This is a freedom camping area with basic toilet and shower facilities and a cooking shelter. The lake is a popular trout fishery and water ski area. Camping in non-self-contained vehicles and tents is allowed. Sites must be left clean. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Toilets, showers, drinking water Activities: Hiking, fishing, swimming, boats and water sports Vinegar Hill, Manawatu Low cost/Free Awesome campsite located right next to the river. A peaceful, council-operated campground, situated just north of Hunterville on the bypass route into the beautiful Manawatu district. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Toilets and cold showers Activities: Fishing, swimming, cycling, hiking Cost: Low cost in summer; free in winter Historic Maritime Museum & Park, Paeroa, Waikato Low cost Five minutes from Paeroa the Historic Maritime Museum and Park has beautifully laid out grounds, river boardwalks and daily boat rides. Who: Caravans, motorhomes, vans:must be self-contained Facilities: Toilets, BBQ’s, fresh water Activities: Hiking, cycling, river boat rides, museum South Island Hanmer Amenity AreaHanmer Springs, Canterbury Free Just behind the DOC fenced compound is a lovely reasonably flat camping area. There’s a stream, several walking and cycling tracks. It’s an easy walk into the town and the famous Hanmer Springs pools. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans: non-self-contained is allowed; dogs allowed. Facilities: Toilets Activities: Hiking, mountain biking, cycling Round Bush CampsiteLake Ohau, Waitaki, Canterbury Free Beautiful beech forest, hung with mistletoe in summer, grows right up to the edge of Lake Ohau. Stunning views of Lake Ohau and the mountains. It’s a gravel road from the Ohau township. Bring insect repellant. Large vehicle access. 4 nights max. DOC. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Non-flush toilet, water from stream. Activities: Boating, swimming, walks, photography. Bendigo freedom campingCromwell – Lindis Crossing Rd Free A beautiful site between the road (SH8) and Lake Dunstan looking across to the Pisa Range. Flush toilets, rubbish bins. 3 nights max. No fires. Some road noise. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Flush toilets, rubbish bins. Activities: swimming, boating, walks. Up Up a growing, nationwide, Stop and Stay listing for campers and travellers ​ SStay-lake ohau_1MNR218.webp SStay-ohau_MNR1133-2.webp SStay-F_lake ohau_1MNR218 copy.webp SStay-lake ohau_1MNR218.webp 1/8

​ ​ BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption SStay-lake ohau_1MNR218.webp SStay-ohau_MNR1133-2.webp SStay-Bendigo_MNR4811.webp SStay_DOC park Hanmer.webp SStay-Paeroa-museum.webp SStay-VinegarHill.webp SStay-Lake-Aniwhenua.webp SStay-F_lake ohau_1MNR218 copy.webp Why not stop and stay a while? Angela Bryan Introducing Stop and Stay, where to stop when travelling and camping in NZ — use it, share it, add to it. NZ’s national camping club, All Points Camping, is proud to bring you their growing, nationwide, Stop and Stay listings for campers and travellers. With the NZ Government and local authorities moving to restrict camping access for both traveling NZers and for recreational campers, it is more important than ever to have recommended places to stop and stay. Finding that perfect spot to relax or get together with family and friends is getting harder and you shouldn’t have to belong to specific organisations to get access to an overnight park. Stop and Stay brings you this. It’s a free resource for NZ campers and travellers, brought to you by campers, for campers. Its free, too, for property owners to be on the list. Stop overs come recommended; some are discounted; they are scattered throughout the country: north, south, east or west there is likely to be a Stop and Stay property on your way. It might be a country pub for a meal, a rural property, a council reserve, a DOC camp; it might be a commercial campground to stay at or a unique day-stop or cafe to visit on your travels. Properties are recommended by the camping public, so you know that they are the best places for NZ travelling campers. Remember to always check with hosts first — phone numbers are provided on most listings, and keep in mind that some properties have restrictions. Dog-friendly properties are indicated on each listing, as are wheelchair accessible properties. Anyone one can access the list or make recommendations, not just club members. The listings can be accessed online on any device, they can be downloaded or printed: stopandstaynz.org Can it get any easier? Can’t find a property in the area you are travelling to? Some areas around NZ have more listings than others; we are always keen to add to the current listings, provided the property has come with recommendations from campers. Tell us about your favourite camping spot, no matter where it is, and what makes it special. Is it right off the beach for an easy fish before breakfast, is it a great spot to go camping with the family pooch, is it super family-friendly with great entertainment for the kids? We want to know. It is as easy as filling in a form: ckw.nz/add-one-now Our regional divisions:North Island: Upper NICentral NI Lower NI South Island:Upper SI Lower SI Symbols on each listing make it easy to find the property that suits you at a glance, including seaside, countryside, or mountains.If you want to fish, go boating , tramping or cycling we have pretty much covered all the options. New Zealand has so many hidden, out of the way little places that may not otherwise appear on your radar when you’re looking for that special place to Stop and Stay. If you find A SPOTdon’t keep it a secret: ckw.nz/add-one-now Some of those special places North Island Lake Aniwhenua Reserve,Bay of Plenty, Whakatane FREE This is a freedom camping area with basic toilet and shower facilities and a cooking shelter. The lake is a popular trout fishery and water ski area. Camping in non-self-contained vehicles and tents is allowed. Sites must be left clean. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Toilets, showers, drinking water Activities: Hiking, fishing, swimming, boats and water sports Vinegar Hill, Manawatu Low cost/Free Awesome campsite located right next to the river. A peaceful, council-operated campground, situated just north of Hunterville on the bypass route into the beautiful Manawatu district. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Toilets and cold showers Activities: Fishing, swimming, cycling, hiking Cost: Low cost in summer; free in winter Historic Maritime Museum & Park, Paeroa, Waikato Low cost Five minutes from Paeroa the Historic Maritime Museum and Park has beautifully laid out grounds, river boardwalks and daily boat rides. Who: Caravans, motorhomes, vans:must be self-contained Facilities: Toilets, BBQ’s, fresh water Activities: Hiking, cycling, river boat rides, museum South Island Hanmer Amenity AreaHanmer Springs, Canterbury Free Just behind the DOC fenced compound is a lovely reasonably flat camping area. There’s a stream, several walking and cycling tracks. It’s an easy walk into the town and the famous Hanmer Springs pools. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans: non-self-contained is allowed; dogs allowed. Facilities: Toilets Activities: Hiking, mountain biking, cycling Round Bush CampsiteLake Ohau, Waitaki, Canterbury Free Beautiful beech forest, hung with mistletoe in summer, grows right up to the edge of Lake Ohau. Stunning views of Lake Ohau and the mountains. It’s a gravel road from the Ohau township. Bring insect repellant. Large vehicle access. 4 nights max. DOC. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Non-flush toilet, water from stream. Activities: Boating, swimming, walks, photography. Bendigo freedom campingCromwell – Lindis Crossing Rd Free A beautiful site between the road (SH8) and Lake Dunstan looking across to the Pisa Range. Flush toilets, rubbish bins. 3 nights max. No fires. Some road noise. Who: Tents, caravans, motorhomes, vans Facilities: Flush toilets, rubbish bins. Activities: swimming, boating, walks. GO TO Celebrating Summer a growing, nationwide, Stop and Stay listing for campers and travellers ​ Up Up ​ , p 12

4 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Camping The Kiwi Way, Winter 2023 ​ Up Featured ‘ Let’s go south for a few weeks ’ ‘How many weeks?’ ‘Eight.’ ‘How about six?’ Greenies on the road : Managing food scraps. Winter's here : Some of our most glorious times camping have been in the winter season. Tips and tricks. Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track : We put it to a family-friendly test: with my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out. Self containment changes in brief RV & Camper business services : Self containment, LPG work, electrical work, motorhome work & more. Table of Contents 2 Small town friendly 4 Editorial: The good news 4 One hundred nights a year 4 Winter’s not going to stop Mavis 5 ‘Let’s go south for a few weeks’ 6 Why we chose our Swift Sprite Quattro caravan 7 I am on track 7 Eight degrees of harm 8 Halfway through my 73 days traveling 9 Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps 10 A stove jack 11 It was cold at Mavora Lakes. Plenty of snow around. 12 Winter's here... Tips and tricks 13 Pegs for tough weather 13 Quinneys Bush Family Holiday Camp 14 Get on ya bike 16 Two long blacks and a cheese scone 17 I did it! My very first solo camping and tramping trip! 18 Gold miner Wattie Thompson 19 Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022 23 Winter at Nokomai Station 23 CampFest — Bulls, 2023 24 Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes : A family test 26 Waikato west coast road trip 27 Camping as a young family 27 Recipes for camping: Vege Nachos 27 Our morning view, heater on 28 Game: Fill in the grid 29 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 33 Stop and Stay The Store cafe and camp – Kekerungu (Marlborough) Lakelands Holiday Park , Whanganui 34 NZers go camping: clubs & groups : Life of Van 34 EVENTS — Camping 35 EVENTS — Festivals and show s 36 Self containment changes in brief 37 RV & Camper business services 47 Coffee Time Up Up ​ 1/0

Click on image for full view and caption monowai-F-4-wide.webp Super safe for kids to splash in The lake is shallow and covered in soft moss, making it super safe for kids to splash in. The campsites themselves are spread out under the forest canopy directly beside the east shore of the lake. We admired the glistening of the water between the tree branches. Picnic tables A boat ramp, fire pits, picnic tables, long drop toilets, a walking track and a small dam are all just mere steps away. A half hour return walk We also really enjoyed the half hour return walking track beginning in the camping area. Walking amongst the shade of the trees, listening to the bird song, and admiring the native plants and fungi along the way to the panoramic Lake Monowai Lookout. Our son leads the way the track to the Lake Monowai Lookout was a very flat and family-friendly stroll, and was perfect for letting our son lead the way. The lookout The panoramic Lake Monowai Lookout Lake Monowai Fishing? A popular spot to fish for brown and rainbow trout The sun heated it right up Since there was so much shallow water, the sun heated it right up, making it comfortable for our toddler. He played in the water for hours Our little guy played in the water for hours while us parents got to sit back, relax and watch the boats float by all day. Article title Author Up Up this item , p pageNum GO TO Celebrating Summer Pull quote FC status SEASON 2024 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Feilding, New Zealand ​

4 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Camping The Kiwi Way, Winter 2023 ​ Up Featured ‘ Let’s go south for a few weeks ’ ‘How many weeks?’ ‘Eight.’ ‘How about six?’ Greenies on the road : Managing food scraps. Winter's here : Some of our most glorious times camping have been in the winter season. Tips and tricks. Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track : We put it to a family-friendly test: with my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out. Self containment changes in brief RV & Camper business services : Self containment, LPG work, electrical work, motorhome work & more. Table of Contents 2 Small town friendly 4 Editorial: The good news 4 One hundred nights a year 4 Winter’s not going to stop Mavis 5 ‘Let’s go south for a few weeks’ 6 Why we chose our Swift Sprite Quattro caravan 7 I am on track 7 Eight degrees of harm 8 Halfway through my 73 days traveling 9 Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps 10 A stove jack 11 It was cold at Mavora Lakes. Plenty of snow around. 12 Winter's here... Tips and tricks 13 Pegs for tough weather 13 Quinneys Bush Family Holiday Camp 14 Get on ya bike 16 Two long blacks and a cheese scone 17 I did it! My very first solo camping and tramping trip! 18 Gold miner Wattie Thompson 19 Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022 23 Winter at Nokomai Station 23 CampFest — Bulls, 2023 24 Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes : A family test 26 Waikato west coast road trip 27 Camping as a young family 27 Recipes for camping: Vege Nachos 27 Our morning view, heater on 28 Game: Fill in the grid 29 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 33 Stop and Stay The Store cafe and camp – Kekerungu (Marlborough) Lakelands Holiday Park , Whanganui 34 NZers go camping: clubs & groups : Life of Van 34 EVENTS — Camping 35 EVENTS — Festivals and show s 36 Self containment changes in brief 37 RV & Camper business services 47 Coffee Time Up Up ​ 1/0

BUY PDF CONTENTS 5 Spring 2023 Up Lake Monowai campsite Kayla Laatz, Mountain Mamas NZ Up Our small family of 3 set up camp in a quiet and secluded paradise in the heart of Fiordland National Park. We picked Fiordland because it offers so many opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing, hunting and nature walks too. The best part though? This no-cost campsite is open to all non-self-contained campers, making it super accessible and affordable for us to visit. Not surprisingly, this spot fills up fast in the summer months. It’s first come first served to stay overnight here and there’s only enough room for about 10 groups of tent campers maximum. Campervans squeeze into a small gravel area that might fit 4 vehicles at most. The campsites themselves are spread out under the forest canopy directly beside the east shore of the lake. A boat ramp, fire pits, picnic tables, long drop toilets, a walking track and a small dam are all just mere steps away. Nearby signs let us know that this is a popular spot to fish for brown and rainbow trout too. Talk about having everything you need within close walking distance.From our tent site, a tiny path through the trees led us directly to the shore of Lake Monowai. It was shallow and covered in soft moss, making it super safe for kids to splash in. Since there was so much shallow water, the sun heated it right up, making it comfortable for our toddler. Our little guy played in the water for hours while us parents got to sit back, relax and watch the boats float by all day. A few kayakers too. We also really enjoyed the half hour return walking track beginning in the camping area ( front cover photo ). Walking amongst the shade of the trees, listening to the bird song, and admiring the native plants and fungi along the way to the panoramic Lake Monowai Lookout. It was a very flat and family-friendly stroll, and was perfect for letting our son lead the way. All weekend the forest provided the perfect shaded canopy to escape the heat, while still getting to enjoy the sun’s rays beaming off the water. As we cooked our food over the fire and ate our lunch at the picnic tables, we admired the glistening of the water between the tree branches. A soft breeze blew through just enough to keep us cool. At night the moon reflected brightly off the water and a nearby dam provided the faint sound of rushing water to fall asleep to. Stargazing was surreal here since there are no towns within at least a 90 minutes drive. That night, our whole whanau fell asleep to the peaceful sounds of the forest and awoke to a cotton candy sunrise reflecting off the water. It doesn’t get much better than that. In all of the South Island, this is our favourite freedom camping site yet. Next time we visit though, we’re bringing a lot more sandfly spray and making sure our food is locked far away from the possums! Lake Monowai Campsite (Fiordland National Park) Free campsite Non self-contained 2 Long drop toilets 1 Non-treated water tap Campfire rings + grills No dogs allowed Mountain Mamas NZ Up Up our most favourite freedom camping site yet Click on the gallery for a full size view monowai-F-4-wide.webp Super safe for kids to splash in The lake is shallow and covered in soft moss, making it super safe for kids to splash in. He played in the water for hours Our little guy played in the water for hours while us parents got to sit back, relax and watch the boats float by all day. monowai-F-4-wide.webp 1/13

BUY PDF CONTENTS ​ Up Lake Monowai campsite Kayla Laatz, Mountain Mamas NZ Up ​ Our small family of 3 set up camp in a quiet and secluded paradise in the heart of Fiordland National Park. We picked Fiordland because it offers so many opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing, hunting and nature walks too. The best part though? This no-cost campsite is open to all non-self-contained campers, making it super accessible and affordable for us to visit. Not surprisingly, this spot fills up fast in the summer months. It’s first come first served to stay overnight here and there’s only enough room for about 10 groups of tent campers maximum. Campervans squeeze into a small gravel area that might fit 4 vehicles at most. The campsites themselves are spread out under the forest canopy directly beside the east shore of the lake. A boat ramp, fire pits, picnic tables, long drop toilets, a walking track and a small dam are all just mere steps away. Nearby signs let us know that this is a popular spot to fish for brown and rainbow trout too. Talk about having everything you need within close walking distance.From our tent site, a tiny path through the trees led us directly to the shore of Lake Monowai. It was shallow and covered in soft moss, making it super safe for kids to splash in. Since there was so much shallow water, the sun heated it right up, making it comfortable for our toddler. Our little guy played in the water for hours while us parents got to sit back, relax and watch the boats float by all day. A few kayakers too. We also really enjoyed the half hour return walking track beginning in the camping area ( front cover photo ). Walking amongst the shade of the trees, listening to the bird song, and admiring the native plants and fungi along the way to the panoramic Lake Monowai Lookout. It was a very flat and family-friendly stroll, and was perfect for letting our son lead the way. All weekend the forest provided the perfect shaded canopy to escape the heat, while still getting to enjoy the sun’s rays beaming off the water. As we cooked our food over the fire and ate our lunch at the picnic tables, we admired the glistening of the water between the tree branches. A soft breeze blew through just enough to keep us cool. At night the moon reflected brightly off the water and a nearby dam provided the faint sound of rushing water to fall asleep to. Stargazing was surreal here since there are no towns within at least a 90 minutes drive. That night, our whole whanau fell asleep to the peaceful sounds of the forest and awoke to a cotton candy sunrise reflecting off the water. It doesn’t get much better than that. In all of the South Island, this is our favourite freedom camping site yet. Next time we visit though, we’re bringing a lot more sandfly spray and making sure our food is locked far away from the possums! Lake Monowai Campsite (Fiordland National Park) Free campsite Non self-contained 2 Long drop toilets 1 Non-treated water tap Campfire rings + grills No dogs allowed Mountain Mamas NZ Up Up our most favourite freedom camping site yet Click on the gallery for a full size view monowai-F-4-wide.webp Super safe for kids to splash in The lake is shallow and covered in soft moss, making it super safe for kids to splash in. He played in the water for hours Our little guy played in the water for hours while us parents got to sit back, relax and watch the boats float by all day. monowai-F-4-wide.webp 1/13