Wentworth Valley Camping Ground — Hotel in North Island

Booked from 27th Dec to 2nd Jan (2x adults, 1x teen, 3x kids, 2x Karhmandu 280 retreats, 1x compass hub, 1x SUV, 1x trailer) We chose sites 39, 40 & 42 which are river side, next to the main driveway into/out of the campground. They are the first sites you get to.

The ground is flat from the treeline for 2 to 3 metres in various spots then a slight uphill towards the road.

We positioned our tents along the treeline to use the flat but we did have some kitchen cupboards propped up under foot to level the surface.

Site sizes were around 9m wide by 8 metres deep (site 39) and 9 metres wide by 6 metres deep (site 40) and site 42 is really just a parking space or spot for a gazebo.

We had rain for most of our time here, but didn't get flooded as the slight slope allowed the water to just run off. I see a number of others around the camp were quite flooded and left early. There is also an extended area that is not marked sites - just set up where you want and spread out. This is in a large open paddock with various contours and flat spaces.

Only downside to this spot is the traffic and foot traffic - people were not mindful of the 5km SLOW signs, and walkers looked in to our setup alot so not as much privacy if that's what you are after. Site 38 is more private as its tucked in the corner and around bush.

We had beautiful shade, the sounds of the river lull you to sleep, and the eels are friendly and love to eat your food scraps.

There is a tree swing for the kids, lots of space to ride bikes and run around, plenty of different swimming holes, and the Wentworth Falls Track which takes you to the Wentworth waterfall or even further across the Maratoto Track. There are a number of suitable swimming spots along the waterfall Track - 1 only 2 mins into it, another take the right hand side Track 5 mins up at the fork.

The Mines walk is awesome in the day and just as awesome at night - glowworms are plentiful. Be wary of the track having given way at a couple points and is very narrow with a steep drop off. Due to the rain there is also some muddy spots.

The camp ground has 2 gas BBQs as well as a wash station with cold water and sinks. There are taps for water, but it must be boiled.

Long drops provide toileting, and these are cleaned daily. I found that they aren't as bad as others I have used, and sometimes they smell a bit more than other times but that's to be expected. They have auto sprayers inside to help with the smell.

The shower block is 2 showers. Cold is free, or $2 for hot water for 5 minutes. I had both, and liked the stalls as they were a good size (showered with child with plenty of room and our towels and clothes were hanging up too and stayed dry). Great water pressure too. Top tip - shower jandels are a must to keep feet clean and no chance of fungal infections.

Camp office is where you sign in on arrival and also serves as a store with some essentials including ice, water, snacks, tampons and coffee.

Recycling bins provided at camp driveway entrance, as well as rubbish bag drop off - council rubbish bags can be purchased for $4 from the office. Very handy given it is a DoC site (pack in pack out).

Cell reception is patchy throughout the camp ground but can get it mostly everywhere, even at the swimming holes (OneNZ & Spark).

Quartz rocks must not be taken (as we found out - the kids were "mining" and collected various rocks and we were reported to manager by passer by - we weren't planning on taking rocks though, just kids playing with them) so make sure to put them back.

Overall, we loved our stay. Whangamata is 10 minutes away. Niki the camp manager is AWESOME. She went above and beyond for me when I was booking, answered all my questions, and was just so helpful, it made the process great. She does a lot so contact can be sporadic - use the booking form online in advance and follow up with a phone call if you need to. She really needs an assistant to help but she does a wonderful job and makes you feel at home!

We will definitely be back!!...

We stayed in one of three powered sites, and had a great stay. The scenery is beautiful, particularly the bush walk that leads to the waterfall. The bushwalk offers glimpses of the past, with old artifacts, equipment, bricks and mining/ventilation shafts that house cave wetas. The waterfall is beautiful, but ensure you wear the correct walking footwear. Friends wore Jandals, which are unsuitable and dangerous. At night, our site was a great spot to look up at the stars. There's no light pollution hiding the night sky. There is a swimming hole there as well. The toilets are long drops, and can get pretty nasty with strong smells. Showers are coin operated, and will do the job, but don't expect anything fancy. It is a DOC site, so expect to rough it while there. Otherwise the town public toilets are only 15mins drive away! We did discover some new showers and portaloo's in the front campground, which were well maintained and clean. No smells like the long drops. Powered sites are seperate from the campground, so could host a large group. On site store, and friendly host. Highly recommend...

Camping ground nestled in some awesome NZ bush, lots of native birds and lots of stars in the sky at night... great walk to a picturesque waterfall... awesome watering hole with an area for the kids to jump into... just sit back and watch your future kiwi summertime memories unfold in front of you.|Not to mention the short 5-7 minute drive to Whangamata township, which is a great NZ beach town with all the things you need.|We tented and stayed at a powered site of which there are only three, we were the only tent at the powered area, all of the others were at the non-powered area, it is a 2 minute walk to the toilet/shower area from the powered area, so bring a torch if you think you’ll need to use them during the night. |$2 for a hot shower, free for a cold one. Toilets are a long drop system, however don’t smell of anything but the chemicals used...