Tasman Holiday Parks - Miranda

We paid for two days but left after one. This site wasn’t for us, and we didn’t want to feel like sardines packed into a tin. I’m sure it would suit the right people, especially families with children, but as more senior travellers we felt out of place. We had just driven four hours when we arrived at the office at 12:30 to confirm our booking. We were told not to come before 14:00. A woman who didn’t smile or make us feel welcome said she’d let us onto the site this time, but that we shouldn’t arrive before 14:00 next time. There won’t be a next time. We’ve visited New Zealand 14 times, usually spending two months each time in a hired campervan and staying at hundreds of campsites across both islands. We’ve often arrived before 14:00 without this being a problem. The facilities are modern, and the showers are good, but the toilets and showers felt less inviting once lots of younger people had used them. There’s no shelf in the shower for soap or shampoo, and only one hook for hanging everything. We couldn’t see any interesting walks nearby apart from a bike route and short walk just past hut 64. Otherwise, travelling farther meant driving our campervan along a very narrow road where you have to stop to let other vehicles pass.

We couldn’t believe how good the value was. In Australia this park would probably cost $200 or more. We’ve spent months travelling by campervan around Australia and New Zealand, and this was easily our favourite park. There’s so much to do, including mini golf, frisbee golf, giant chess, the mineral pool, and a zip line. We wished we’d stayed a few nights to enjoy it all. The cooking facilities were A+ too, super clean and stocked with everything we needed.

After a long day hiking, the hot pool was fantastic. The campsites are nice and big, the showers have plenty of hot water, and the facilities are super clean and fresh. The kitchen is huge, with hot plates, bench top ovens, fridges, plenty of sinks with hot water on tap, and all the usual appliances. This was the best place we stayed in NZ. I’d 100% recommend it for a bit of luxury on a camping holiday.

The kids had heaps to do and had the best time. We also appreciated the enforced quiet time at 10pm. The staff were all friendly and helpful, and worked around our tent and caravan by booking us into suitable sites for both. The sites are large, and the toilet block and kitchen were clean and tidy. Thanks, Miranda Holiday Park! We really enjoyed our stay.