Lakefront Lodge Backpackers

We had a great 4 night stay and would 100% come back. Check-in was quick and easy, and the facilities were cleaned regularly and really good. The bathrooms, laundry, shared kitchen and BBQs were all great. For around ~$80 NZD per night, though, we didn't expect showers with a time limit. Our campervan site had a wooden bench at the back for sitting and enjoying the view, but someone had moved ours by the time we got back on our second last day. It'd be great if staff or the groundskeeper kept an eye on the benches so they stayed with their sites. The location is amazing. If you're in a campervan, I'd highly recommend booking a lakefront or lake view site for the best view.

The view is incredible, with lots of flat spots for campervans, and the lodges looked nice too. The showers were clean and pleasant. Cooking areas feel a bit small when the place is fully booked, though. A really good camping and campervan spot, but the weather could have a big effect on your experience.

The lake access and setting made this a great stop, and check-in for our powered site was easy. The site was paved, clean and laid out well. Shared areas were tidy and looked after, the showers were clean with no extra charge, and WiFi was available. On our campervan trip, I'd put this park at number 2 for its facilities and overall feel. Driftaway in Frankton, Queenstown is still our favourite, but Tekapo Holiday Park came close. My partner and I had a solid 4.5-star stay. When we tried to come back later, the park was full, so we parked near the beach despite the “No Camping” sign. Council officers knocked early the next morning and gave us a NZD400 fine. Lesson learned. Fellow campervan travelers, use Campmate to find proper freedom camping spots or book a paid site. A fine isn't worth the risk.

We had site 302 for the last 3 nights. The location was great, and the toilets and showers were better than average. There's no seating area in this section, and it's a decent walk to the seating elsewhere. The dump station is 600+ m away. Power was the biggest problem: switching on our single ring immediately blew the fuses. Maintenance said it must be our caravan, except we'd just had its electrical warrant done and had no trouble at sites before or after. Our controller showed only 1a available, while other sites had 2.5+.