Pelorus Bridge campsite (unpowered) — Hotel in South Island

My wife and I love to camp, but had not been in a few years. Being 'empty nesters' for some time, our daughters having moved to Wellington to study, and the world still seemingly recovering from the pandemic, we simply hadn't gotten around to it. So off I go, into the garage to retrieve our tents, shelters, gas stove and various torches! We wanted to get out of Nelson, but not go too far so the Pelorus camping site was the perfect choice. After 50 minutes drive from Nelson we arrived. Checking in to the camp was simple, the office being the first thing you see when you drive into the site. The managers of the camp are very friendly and helpful. The site we had chosen was excellent. Lots of shelter, nice shade from the hot sun. There are a lot of very well maintained tent sites. While most sites were populated, we still had the impression of privacy and quietness. The kitchen was a good size, providing gas cookers with 4 burners per hob, and sinks with good running hot and cold water. The water is uv treated and is drinkable, and tastes clean and fresh. There is also a variety of cleaning utensils. Do bring your own dish liquid and tea towels. The bathrooms are very clean, albeit a little small (2 shower units and 2-4 toilets per gender) but the water is hot and water pressure is good. There are a number of bush walks scattered around. A nice short 20 minute walk will get you to a beautiful small waterfall, and then another 30 minutes to a more substantial example. Plenty more longer tramps up to the huts. Now the highlight of this camp has to be the pelorus river. With fresh clean water constantly flowing and a convenient arrangement of rocks and beaches, this is one of the best swimming rivers in the country. The water of this river providing good cleansing of your body and spirit. After each swim I came out feeling super refreshed and looking forward to the next adventure! The price was fine at $20 per adult. My advice is to try and book a site by the river, although we stayed in a bushside spot and this had its own benefits like shade and shelter. A great place for families, although I did not see a playground, but the bush makes an awesome natural replacement for swings and slides! So go for it! Get out of the rat race, throw on your jandals and grab a book. It's time to...

Almost no signal by the unpowered campsite! Not really a problem as you get to enjoy the nature more, but good to know regardless. Signal is better by the road or by the information desk/cafe.

The unpowered camp was a real gem, located right by the river perfect for a swim (albeit a bit cold early spring) after which you can take a hot shower. Clean facilities, two hot showers and two flushing toilets per gender, a nice kitchen with stove tops, sinks for washing dishes and benches both indoors and outdoors. Laundry should also be possible for an extra charge I think but I didn’t use so not sure. Located close to multiple walks, you can easily spend multiple days here. 20$/pp per night unpowered or free with doc camp pass in low season, recommended to book and pay online...

Absolutely gorgeous campground. Well maintained and clean. The idyllic Pelorus river running through the middle of camp.

Highly recommend booking ahead and online, office hours are sporadic and subject to change. There is a "anytime" call button you can press should you arrive when the office is closed. Staff were absolutely lovely and very helpful.

A code to the camp bathrooms and toilets is given when you book, else there are public toilets by the cafe 👍

One of my favorite DOC campgrounds of all time I will...