Punakaiki Beach Camp

We stayed in a family cabin. It has 2 sets of bunks and a double bed, so was OK for one night. However, having traveled to many other camp grounds in NZ, this one stands out as in need of upgrading. Not many of the communal kitchen stove elements are working and this was the subject of a lot of discussions amongst campers in the kitchen. The showers are pretty poor with not much water flow and one of our group had a cold shower as the hot water ran out. It's a beautiful location with friendly staff but in need of upgraded facilities.

Beautiful site right on the beach, and no obtrusive lights to spoil the amazing night skies. Good number of clean basic facilities - no frills but everything you need is here. Friendly wekas and glow worms also abound, a magical place to stop right between the ocean and pororari river which you must walk up

For camper or tent probably very nice but the cabin was disappointing. A very small container-like cabin and we had to share the ( not so clean) facilities with the people from the campground. Which meant a very long hike through pitchblack darkness through the woods. As a mature lady I need the loo several rimes in the night but often couldn’t find my way. Way too far! Also, we didn’t have wifi in our cabin as apposed to the people on the campground. The kitchen and eating area was not too well appointed, lots of a Old stuff there and quite dirty. As for the shower area, not so nice. It would be nice if there was a nicer communal area inside as well for the rainy days that often occur on the Westcoast. The scenery was beautiful and the proximity to the beach and pancake rocks was good.

This place was in an excellent location only a few step’s from the beach on which you can watch the sun set on the ocean. It’s also only 20 minutes walk from Pancake Rocks & Blowholes. Whilst the facilities weren’t top quality, they were perfectly acceptable for camping in the location.

We booked the seascapes holiday home through punakaiki beach camp for a winter stay. i imagine this would be fantastic in summer but it was cold in winter. no heating except for some small fan heaters. We were two couples so one couple were in a separate cottage with no toilet, so in the night they had to walk outside to go into main house, it is in a great location, it wasnt cleaned very well. but would be a great place to stay in summer. the views were stunning.

Perfect site next to beach. Witnessed the most amazing sunset. Stunning place and everyone there was respectful and quiet at night. Beach was lovely and peaceful - we enjoyed looking at all the different pebbles on the beach. Just a really nice place to get away. Close to the blow holes and entrance to walks and caves.

Our intention was to find a place to stay for just one night, but unfortunately, the experience turned out to be quite distressing. We were met with rude and unprofessional behavior from the camp staff. When we requested a moment to decide whether we would stay or explore other options , the person seemed visibly angry with us and insisted on an immediate decision or leave the place. This made us uncomfortable, as we were simply seeking to make the best choice for our stay. The manager displayed an alarming lack of professionalism by using offensive language in a loud voice and aggressively pushed for us to pay $44 for a night stay, despite the fact that we did not stay overnight at the camp. This demand was not only unjustified but also left us feeling unfairly treated and disrespected. We are genuinely perplexed by the turn of events, as we were open to discussion and cooperation. Every guest deserves a respectful and understanding environment. We hope that this feedback serves as an opportunity for improvement in customer service and that our feedback contributes to enhancing the overall experience for future campers.

It is undoubtedly a beautiful location with high cliffs in the backdrop. The only let-down was the bugs and mosquitos. We all had bug bites. An advice, use ample OFF bug spray all over including on tight clothes, keep an antiseptic lotion handy, including Calamine ($10 value) just to mitigate the risk of infection and subdue the itch. This will enable you all to enjoy it in full. For blow holes, go at the time of high tide, as they only work best with high tide and ruff seas.

We stayed here for 2 nights either side of walking Paparoa track. Location was very convenient, being very close to track end and we used the track shuttle which left from the campground to take us to Smokeho carpark. We stayed in the Family cabins the first night. These are the best cabins, being closest to kitchen/toilet blocks which are a short distance away by footpath - no getting feet wet walking across grass. The cabins had comfy beds and surprisingly roomy for a cabin. Had a table and chairs, small fridge and kettle with double bed in one room and 2 bunks in other room, with room to put luggage. For 3 adults we all got a bottom bunk or bed. Cabin was warm with sun streaming in all day but had heat pump which we didn't need in June due to the lovely sunshine! A deck and outdoor chairs with a lawn and outdoor table as well. You need to ask for crockery and pots at the office. Second night we stayed in Driftwood cottage which is a separate house located on the main road near the pub. This was lovely and must have been renovated since some of the reviews on here. It had double glazed windows and new efficient heat pump which kept us warm on cold night. The beds were comfortable. Only thing which could be improved was shower pressure, which was fairly low, not what you need after a 4 day walk. Very friendly owners who were very patient checking our group of 6 in, all paying for cabins, house and shuttle separately. Camp has direct access to the beach and nearby river, but no views of either. Good views of the rocky cliffs.