Top 10 Lakes To Camp Next To In New Zealand’s South Island
While there are a tonne of beach side campsites and secluded bush spots to camp up at, we’ve always found ourselves gravitating more towards the lakeside camps. It’s also pretty safe to say that New Zealand can’t be beat for some of the best lakeside campsites we’ve ever stayed at. With there being so many to choose from, we’ve put together a quick list of the 10 that we love the most and think you will too! Keep in mind a self contained vehicle is a must to stay in majority of these spots. if you’d like to understand more about what self containment means, you can check out that blog here. In no particular order here we go…
Lake Heron - Located in the Haketere Conservation Park, Lake Heron provides its own unique but equally stunning views of the surrounding mountains. With a couple of freedom camping areas (if you’re self contained) and a paid DOC campground this is a spot we guarantee you’ll love to camp out at.
2. Lake Pukaki - Located just out of Twizel and about 3 hours south of Christchurch. With views of New Zealand’s tallest mountain Aoraki/Mt Cook, and so many secluded spots to choose from, Lake Pukaki is hard to beat!
3. Lake Kaniere - Located on the wild West Coast of the South Island, Lake Kaniere is popular with locals and tourists alike. A stunning campground with plenty of space and a jetty to sit and watch the sunset. The area offers some great short and multi day hikes as well as the well known Hokitika Gorge and Dorothy Falls. This is a DOC campsite so fees do apply to stay here – although this is on the cheaper end of the scale at only $8 per person.
4. Lake Ohau - This is such a great camp spot for so many reasons! First it’s located about 20 minutes out of Twizel near the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on your way to Omarama. There are so many incredible walks in the area. It’s completely free. It’s in a remote area yet there is still full 4g coverage. There are clean toilets. The lake is literally at your doorstep. I can’t tell you how incredible our summer was here. Being able to roll out of bed and dive straight into the crystal clear waters of Lake Ohau was a big highlight! Check out our reel on @gooseandellen to see Goose jetskiing on this lake in the most pristine conditions.
5. Lake Camp - Another lake located in the Haketere Conservation Park (we love this place). As one of the four lakes in the park this area definitely has you covered for lakeside campsites. We’ve spent a fair few nights in this FREE camp spot and have been blown away by the sunrise and sunsets every time. We also love this camp as we can have campfires right outside our van - there is nothing better than sitting around a campfire with a beer and good tunes!
6. Lake Lyndon - Just another stunner of a lake nestled in the mountains. Lake Lyndon is the perfect spot to camp up in and explore the area from. As long as your vehicle is self contained you can park anywhere around the lake and have access to toilets at the rest area on the main road. The lake itself isn’t the most pleasant for playing around in, unless of course you’re like Wim Hof and love the ice cold dips, but there’s still heaps to do in the area. You’ve got some great hikes in the Porters Pass like Foggy Peak and Trig M. Another 10 minutes down the road towards the Arthurs Pass and you’ll come across Castle Hill, a Stonehenge-like area with towering rocks and endless crevasses to explore.
7. Moke Lake - Tucked away in the hills near Queenstown, Moke Lake is a serene little spot perfect for a getaway for a night or two. It’s a DOC run campsite so there is a fee of $15 per person, make sure you take cash in! Spend the days chilling by and swimming in the lake, take the loop track for a gentle stroll, or climb the hill at sunset for some epic views.
8. Lake Wakatipu - In specific the Kingston Lake Wakatipu Camping area. With Queenstown being as popular as it is, there are heavy restrictions on where you can camp in the area. Our go-to spot is this Kingston freedom camp 35mins out of town where we have a little cell coverage and there are new toilets. The perfect spot to base yourself for a couple of days while exploring Queenstown.
9. Lake Rotoiti - Finally a lake on the list that isn’t in the far south! While the most well-known lakes are down in the Southern Alps, the Nelson Lakes area deserves its own spot in the limelight. Lake Rotoiti is definitely the main drawcard of the area, with several jetties at the water’s edge it’s hard to take a bad photo here. Just watch out for the hungry eels if you’re dangling your feet in the water! Although there are no free camps on the lake, paying a few bucks to stay in absolute paradise is well worth it. We recommend the West Bay campsite for secluded little bush pozzies.
10. Lake Pearson - Lake Pearson is located halfway between the Porters and the Arthurs Pass. A great destination in itself or a nice place to camp to break up your East - West Coast trip. This is a DOC run campsite and costs $13 per person. Surprisingly one of the warmer lakes in the South Island so if you’re feeling like a freshen up this place will do the job nicely. There are plenty of camping spots on the grass or in the gravel area.
Pack up those campers and go out and explore! As always, just remember…