The Camp - Lake Hawea

We spent one night in a tent at this magical campsite. The lake views are beautiful, and the whole place has a lovely forest feel. We arrived late, so didn’t meet the staff, but they made late check-in easy and left an envelope with clear instructions. The toilets and showers were fine, nothing fancy, and the kitchen had what we needed to cook. We’d love to come back. Thanks for a great stay.

We had a great stay in the Safari Tent, and the kids loved their little cubby room. It felt magical. The location is beautiful, too. I gave four stars because only one dryer was working for all the guests while the other three were being serviced. It would have been good to have another option in that situation. The Secret Sauna was also drying its towels there, which didn’t help. Some shared areas, including the kitchen and the toilets and showers, could use improvement.

We stayed in a bell tent with everything we needed, and there were blankets for chilly evenings. The campsite was easy to find and quiet, with lovely showers and bathroom facilities. The mess tent was handy, with a kettle, fridge freezer, and kitchen area. The food truck was good. It would be useful if the little shop in the office stocked things like BBQ sauces and fresh milk. I’d recommend it.

We’ve been coming to this campground every January for five years. It’s a family tradition that started when we were children, and now we bring our own kids along with Grandma and Grandad. We’ve seen the facilities change over the years, and this visit was disappointing. The bathrooms weren’t clean enough for the number of people staying. We saw cleaners each day, but the cleaning seemed like a quick once-over when more thorough and frequent cleans were needed. There was mould in several places, poor airflow, and general hygiene problems. Toilet paper and soap often ran out. With so many people there, the bathrooms needed cleaning at least three times a day. By about 9:30am, the men’s toilets were extremely unhygienic and felt like a real health concern. We reported several serious issues as they came up: a used tampon hanging from a shower rail, a used pad stuck in a damaged gap in a shower cubicle, flooding, food being washed in bathroom sinks and flushed down toilets, and repeated stretches without hot water for showers or washing dishes. We used the zip several times to fill a sink for dishes. The staff handled our communications promptly and professionally. They listened and were supportive, and seemed disappointed too. Many of the problems felt outside their control. We hope the feedback is taken constructively. This campground means a lot to our family, and we’d love to see it brought back to a standard worthy of the memories many families have made here.