Bay of Islands Holiday Park

The kids had a great time at the pool and playground, and the staff were really friendly and helpful. We spent two nights in the tourist flats just before New Year's. The park is in a nice spot beside the river, and the facilities are adequate. It looks like a real effort is being made to tidy the place up, judging by earlier reviews under different owners. Our flat was tidy and well equipped, though a heat pump might help because it got very stuffy. We had to keep the windows closed to stop bugs getting in. We left at a good time, as it was getting very busy and some new arrivals seemed to be there to party. That's not the park's fault.

It's a nice spot by the river, and it wasn't very crowded. The sites are spacious and the price is reasonable, but the place was quite dirty, especially the kitchen appliances and dining area. We've stayed at free campsites that were cleaner. The equipment is old, and it took the dryer two 40-minute cycles to get things dry. We wouldn't come back.

We spent one night in cabin A, a non-powered site near reception. The room itself was clean, but some lights didn't work, leaving it dim at night. On a hot day the fan was ineffective, and there was no air conditioning. The Wi-Fi was very slow, though we could access it from our site. It was hard to sleep. People moved into the adjoining cabin after 11pm and made loud banging and what sounded like throwing things until 2am, with noise from the door, walls, and floor. The cabin walls and doors have no soundproofing, so you can hear everything people say. There was also a utility room where the washing machine could be heard at all hours. It was an okay night, but this definitely didn't feel like a 4-star holiday park.

We had a lovely two-night stay in our campervan right beside the river. The showers were warm with good pressure, and the kitchen was clean. Hard to ask for more!