Waikawau Bay Camp grounds. D.O.C

Isolated location made a peaceful spot. But unfortunately roadworks nearby meant big trucks thundered by during work hours on the very close gravel road. Beach was stunning, and lots of grass and shade to camp. Stars at night were best I can remember.

Shop only open 26 dec to 30 Jan each year. 10 new toilet/shower blocks, showers are cold but clean, has a rope and pulley to take a solar shower, toilets are great, very clean, some flush toilets closer to the beach on the high ground, neat for back to basics camping, colville is the nearest shop with lots of camping, fishing, food, ice, alcohol and petrol... great shop. The cafe next door sells cold vacuum sealed meat and has a great cooked menu and amazing fruit ice cream. Waikawau beach is great... a safe area for little ones at the southern end. Enjoy.

Location is perfect with the right weather. Near to the beach and quiet, so you'll be able to have a nice calming holiday.

Loved this campsite! Was not busy at all in mid-March. Basically had the whole place to ourselves. The walk on the beach in WaiKawau Bay is beautiful, and there was even some surf. Great spot to lounge in the sand, swim, surf, etc. Campsites are very simple. No picnic table or anything to eat on, just an empty grassy spot. Booked online prior to arriving and everything went smoothly. Can hear the ocean from your tent. Will definitely camp here again.

Large camp grounds , great facilities and being a bush camp no shop, powered sites pack in pack out policy makes you a responsible camper. The beach is beautiful water so clear and bird life a gift to watch.

Beach is incredible, perfect for digging holes. A tad windy. Cold showers were cold. Toilets were magnificent. A lot of youngins running around. Very friendly shop assistant. Lonnnnnnnnnng drive, but worth it. 12/10 would camp again.

The facilities at the campsite are all new (as of Feb 2021) and kept clean - we saw the DOC rangers come and clean the toilets during the day. There is a shop open for the summer period (to Waitangi Day) that does ice, bread and other small items. Nearest small grocery store is the Colville General Store (20 min drive), which does pretty much anything you can think of (including ice creams). We stayed at Reyes End, which was protected by trees all around so wind was never a problem. Short 5 min walk to the beach, which was sandy and perfect for swimming, with slightly choppy waves, good for boogie boards. Note the road to the campsite is gravel for 15-20 minutes, expect your car to get dirty. Being so secluded means you can’t get a better spot to stargaze. Overall, lots of space at the campsite and perfect to get away from everyday life - phone coverage is great at the beach but marginal at the campsite itself.

The beach is absolutely beautiful on a sunny day. Plenty of toilets and showers, which were quite tidy. Bring the insect repellent because the sandflies bite hard!

Good family friendly DOC camp with clean facilities. Cold showers were a big plus!Beautiful beach!

I posted more photos to the actual beach entry on the map, but wanted to single out NZ DoC campgrounds as being exceptional options for travelers. I visited NZ 4 years ago and everyone of these I stayed at was a delight of ammenities. Always chances to see wild animals around.