Christchurch Camping
Christchurch's relative proximity to bush and beaches makes it a prime location for camping and holiday parks. Those on a budget and camping in tents will find numerous opportunities to have access to the luxuries and excellent amenities of holiday parks, in semi-rural locations with ease of access to a major city.
Christchurch Top 10 Holiday Parks
Top 10 holiday Parks provide a wide range of camping options. The basic end with your tent and shared cooking and washing facilities will cost around $40 per night. The upper end of the scale offers a fully serviced, two bedroom self contained motel for around NZ$280 per night.
Meadow Park
39 Meadow Street, Papanui, Christchurch 8542. Telephone: 03 352 9176 / Freephone 0800 396 323
Part of the nationwide Top 10 Holiday Parks network, the Meadow Park complies with Top 10 standards of cleanliness and family-friendly facilities. A real treat for the kids, and the big kids, is the pedal go-cart hire. This is sure to prompt cries of "again, again!" There is also a heated swimming pool with twisting slide onsite, communal TV room, BBQ area, a trampoline and a huge jumping pillow. Non-powered sites are available for the humble camper while deluxe chalets and motel rooms are available for those seeking a little more comfort.
Spencer Beach Holiday Park
Heyders Road, Spencerville, Christchurch 808. Telephone: 03 329 8721
Spencer Beach Holiday Park holiday park comprises of 80 hectares of forest and reserves and is located in Spencerville, in the north of Christchurch. The site is right next to a beach, Brooklands lagoon, an animal/bird park and numerous walking tracks. This holiday park is a haven for families and people who want to be active. The convenience of having so much nature and outdoor action so close to hand makes Spencer Beach Holiday Park an appealing choice.
The children's playground will keep little ones entertained for hours with its sandpit, trampoline and other equipment. Also on offer for sports enthusiasts are a basketball court and volleyball court. The real attraction here is the nearby adrenalin forest with flying foxes, rope bridges and nets. As is the case with most holiday parks in New Zealand, accommodation can be as minimal (in a tent) as you like, or as comfortable (in a homestead or apartment) with mod cons.
North South Holiday Park
530 Sawyers Arms Rd, Christchurch. Telephone: 03 359 5993
For such a tree-fringed sanctuary, North South Holiday Park is unusually, and conveniently, close to Christchurch Airport. Onsite facilities include a swimming pool, tennis court, sauna and trikes for friendly racing. Other notable features of the park are a duck pond and a kid's playground. North South is also dog-friendly so your furry best friend can accompany you by prior arrangement.
Tent sites are sheltered with access to ablutions blocks, laundry, BBQ areas and all the other facilities of the park. The standard cabins and motel rooms apply here and the bunkhouse is a great option for large groups sleeping up to 14 people.
South Brighton Holiday Park
59 Halsey Street,South Brighton, Christchurch. Telephone: 03 388 9844
South Brighton Holiday Park is the closest seaside campsite to central Christchurch. If South Brighton beach isn't enough to keep the kids entertained they will love the playground, swings, trampoline, tepee and wagon, and the fort complete with tower and turrets for those endless imaginative games. Mountain bikes are available for hire from the campsite and if you follow the River Avon you will find yourself in the centre of Christchurch. It is entirely possibly to have your base by the sea but with all the amenities and attractions of a nearby major city.
Department of Conservation Campsites
Camping fees range from zero to cheap, averaging at around $6 per person. There are no DOC campsites in Christchurch. There are, however, numerous DOC campsites in the Canterbury region surrounding Christchurch.
More Info:
Read our Canterbury Camp Site guide for more information.
