WEST COAST: HOKITIKA

Lake Mahinapua is a stunning DOC campsite and reserve, accessed down a long drive from the main road.

This was one of those completely unexpected locations that way surpassed our initial impressions. We arrived in the late afternoon, having driven up from Franz Josef, and we were looking for somewhere to stay for the night.

But the entrance to the campsite looked overgrown, and down a narrow metal road. Having been caught out in similar situations, and scrapping the top of our van under tree branches, I decided to walk down the driveway to check it out.

That was my first mistake - it was 500 metres to the campsite, and there was plenty of clearance for our motorhome. Also, it was a one-way road, with the campsite exit road following a different route. 

The campsite looked really nice, so I decided to walk back to the van where my long-suffering wife was waiting, and we drove back so that she could have a look.

We both agreed that it would be a great place to spend the night, but we had run out of some basic food items, and ended up driving on to Hokitika, but which time it was too late to return.

Enjoy the pictures. This is a great West Coast campsite, and was being well used, even in late autumn.

We'll definitely plan to stay there next time we're exploring the West Coast.