WAIKATO: SOUTH-WAIKATO

Keeley's Recreational Reserve is a large reserve on the banks of Lake Karapiro, with public toilets, and a boat ramp. Freedom camping is allowed.

This is one of those choice locations that we stumbled upon by accident, looking for somewhere to park overnight on our way back to Auckland from Lake Taupo. It was getting dark when we arrived, and we just pulled into a quiet off-road area at the entrance to the reserve. There was another van there so we felt quite safe.

The next morning we discovered that the reserve was much larger than we first thought, and was being well used by travellers and locals. The lake was especially popular for kayaking, with some serious training going on.

If you're travelling with a kayak, then there is a boat ramp for accessing the lake. The toilets were clean, and there was plenty of room for on-grass parking - although not all of it was nice and level.

Being certified self-contained didn't appear to be a requirement, and there were toilets nearby. There were rubbish bins strategically placed around the reserve.

Boat ramp access to Lake Karapiro

Entrance to Keeleys Reserve