EXPLORING HAWKES BAY

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Hawkes Bay is one of our favourite parts of New Zealand. Rich with fresh produce and vineyards, cycleways, beaches, and often dramatic sunsets, Hawkes Bay has a great climate, plenty of choice for motor caravanners to stay at campsites or freedom camp.

This tour takes you along the SH5 Mountain Highway from Taupo, stopping at Tarawera Cafe before exploring Napier and Hastings and then heading north to the Mahia peninsula.

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The Tarawera Cafe is roughly half way between Napier and Taupo, making it a nice place to stop for a travel break while driving through the Tarawera ranges Self-contained motor caravanners can stay overnight, and there are public toilets available.

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The Bayview Hotel and Holiday Park includes a small campsite area, well back from the main road, and with access to the hotel for meals and drinks.

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The Napier Beach Kiwi Holiday Park is just north of Napier and Westshore and offers beach front parking with great views out over the bay. Snapper Cafe is available if you need a good flat white.

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Hawkes Bay Holiday Park is a large campsite just north of Napier and Westshore. They have good facilities in a semi-rural environment, with sheep grazing in the paddock next door.

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The Affordable Westshore Holiday Park is located in the Westshore suburb of Napier and provides good facilities and room for larger vans.

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The carpark at Perfume Point is a stunning location that the Napier city council have made available for freedom camping in self-contained vans. This is our preferred freedom camping site when visiting Napier.

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The Marine Parade City Carpark is right in the heart of Napier, within walking distance of the shopping and cafes, the Information Centre and the National Aquarium.

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The Kennedy Park Top 10 Resort is a large holiday park near the Napier shopping centre, and offers a park like environment and high spec facilities.

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The Taradale District RSA offers restaurant meals and overnight parking for self-contained motor caravanners.

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The Puketapu Reserve is in a country location just a short drive out of Napier city. There is a small parking area with a really nice adventure playground if you're travelling with children.

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The Evers-Swindell Reserve is a prime location along the Tukituki river and within a short walk to the Clive shopping centre. Overnight parking is allowed. Along with Clifton Beach, this is one of our favourite places to stay when visiting Hastings. We've seen some stunning sunsets here. There is limited space.

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The Haumoana Reserve provides both sealed and on-grass parking near the beach, and overnight parking is allowed for self-contained motor caravanners

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Clifton Rd Reserve is another prime location in Hawkes Bay, and provides a large on-grass parking area along the beach front, which is available for overnight parking in self-contained vans. This is one of our favourite freedom camping sites in Hastings. Stunning sunsets, but it can be a bit windy.

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Te Awanga Point Holiday Park is a basic 'Kiwi' campsite with the focus on beach access with fishing, whitebaiting and looking out for dolphins and orcas.

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Clifton Motor Camp is at the very end of the Clifton Road Reserve and provides powered sites directly overlooking the beach. There is a boat ramp for access to the beach

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Hastings Top 10 Holiday Park offers the high-end Top 10 experience within the Hastings urban area.

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Arataki Holiday Park is a very large and well established campsite in the rural area of Arataki, with spacious, park like grounds and quality facilities

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Maraetotara Falls is a small reserve with roadside parking and a short walk along the river bank to a waterfall. Overnight parking for self-contained motor caravanners is allowed in the carpark.

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Ocean 87 is a small campsite alongside a river in a rural environment. Peaceful and quiet, but with basic facilities.

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Ocean Beach is one of the few sandy beaches in the Hawkes Bay region and has good parking and public toilets, and an active surf-lifesaving club. However, freedom camping is not allowed.

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Waipatiki Beach Holiday Park is a large campsite set in a working farm, and a short walk from the beach. The campsite offers a no-frills, traditional Kiwi experience, with plenty of room for on-grass parking. There are farm animals for the children to enjoy, as well as a basic playground. It is quite a long walk to the beach.

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The DOC campsite at Lake Tutira is set in a large reserve on the edge of the lake around 1 km from the entrance at State Highway 2. It's a quiet, peaceful location and would make a great place to just chill out for a few days.

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The DOC reserve at the mouth of the Waikare River offers good fishing, whitebaiting in season, and a 2 km long walk to the beach which joins up with the Coastal Walkway.

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The Riverside Motor Camp is a medium sized campsite within walking distance of the Wairoa town centre. It is spacious, with plenty of room for large vans, on grass parking, and basic but well maintained facilities.

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The Clyde Court Carpark in Wairoa provides direct access to the shopping centre, including the local supermarket, and large public toilets. This is a handy location, especially if you need to top up on groceries. The public toilets are well maintained, and there are a numbe of fast food places close by.

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The War Memorial carpark just of Freyberg St is a nice quiet area that include a public dump station, and allows overnight parking in self-contained vans.

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The reserve at Opoutama Beach offers on-grass parking on the beach front, and is available for self contained motor caravanners to park overnight. It's a nice location with plenty of room for large vans. Excellent if you have a kayak wih you and enjoy fishing.

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The Mahia Beach Holiday Park is a large campsite in a rural environment and close to the beach. The is a small store for basic provisions, with free range eggs availalbe with the hens wandering around the campsite are laying. It's a traditional 'Kiwi' campsite - comfortable and spacious without being fancy.

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The Oraka Reserve is a large grass area near the beach and adjacent to some residential homes in Northern side of the Mahia peninsula. This a a nice, quiet location that is set back a little from the beach, and with plenty of room for large vans.

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Cafe Mahia has a large grass parking area which is available for self-contained motor caravanners to park overnight. There is excellent fishing, and safe swimming down in the bay.