Thomas's Catlins Lodge and Camp Ground

A last-minute find that turned out great. We camped here and found the atmosphere really laid back, with kind staff. There’s loads of room to hang out in the main building, which used to be an old hospital and has really cool architecture. Plenty of bathrooms, free showers, and a big kitchen too. Highly recommend.

The best part of our stay was the garden outside, with flowers and ferns. We ended up spending much of our time in the smoking area because Silky, the grey female cat, didn’t like our dog. We’d been told the place was dog friendly, and bringing our dog was why we chose it, so mostly staying in our room or outside was frustrating. We joked we might as well sleep in the smoking area, since it wasn’t much smaller than our room. For a place rated 4.3 stars, the highlight being outside says a lot. It was somewhere to sleep, not somewhere to enjoy. We were a family of five on a one-night trip, and the room was tiny. We’d asked for an extra bed but had to chase the very busy owner. She didn’t answer texts, and only replied after we called. We eventually got a fold-out bed, but the total was $200 and felt like a waste. The bunk beds weren’t made, so we had to put on the top sheet ourselves. They weren’t pushed against the wall either, making the room feel even smaller. There was a draft we couldn’t track down, a horrible view from the one window, and a long fluorescent light. The photos I added show the room after we moved the bed to fit the extra one. We’d considered leaving, but stayed because we wanted to go to the beach the next day and this was the only place we could bring our dog. We asked about moving to the upstairs apartment and were willing to pay extra, but the woman we spoke to made it difficult and we didn’t get the upgrade. Later, Nana checked the bookings and saw that the apartment, with six beds, two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen, and TV, was listed at $212 for the next day. Mum had been ready to pay $100-200 more, when it would have been a $12 upgrade if the owner had simply told us that when we spoke. We got excited about the kitchen and lounge and the chance to play pool and darts, but pool cost $2. Nothing online said we’d need coins, especially after spending $200, and the dart set wasn’t very good. The games room bingo set was missing lots of balls, and the TV needed a password. Its only door was heavy and pushed inwards, and we couldn’t get out. Customer service was awful. Nobody smiled, and the woman was very difficult about the room. Hot water was only available between 6-10PM and for a few hours in the morning, so showers outside those times weren’t possible. Even then, the water wasn’t hot enough and the pressure barely built up. The lights were so bad that at night we were walking around in the cold showers in the dark. The kitchen didn’t look clean, or like it was cleaned often enough for somewhere people prepare food. A sign on our door asked guests not to remove the duvet covers because the duvets were washed regularly, not after every stay. In the toilets, paint was peeling off the walls and there were webs on the ceiling. It had the general feel of a dirty school bathroom. For quite a while, a couple stood at the counter because the card machine wouldn’t accept foreign cards. A lodge for guests that only takes New Zealand cards. The one redeeming thing was the cat, though she wasn’t keen on our dog either.

The kids loved spending time with Silky the cat, and a hedgehog even came to visit our site. We stayed a couple of nights and enjoyed the facilities and the atmosphere in the old hospital. Jan was very helpful.

We parked our campervan on site. The showers and toilets were spotless, and there was a large, well-equipped kitchen and dining room. Good value, with a quirky old hospital building.