Newhaven Holiday Park

Happy Camping Review

Newhaven Holiday Park is a new site situated next door to Surat Bay Lodge, a few minutes east of Owaka. If arriving at Owaka from the north, take the first left, and then a right after the bridge. The site is open all year.

The hosts Lyndon and Jacqui Clark have been running the site since around 2004, not long after the site was completed. Positioned adjacent to the beach at Surat Bay, and close to Cannibal Bay, the site is a good base to take in many of the sights around this part of Catlins Coast. Horseriding, canoe and bike hire are available, along with internet access and a telephone at the lodge next door. It is perhaps worth noting that there is little mobile phone coverage in this area.

The site includes a self-contained tourist flat, chalet cabins, and powered and tent sites with great views of the bay. The cabins and facilities are modern and attractive, and the site is clean and well planned. At the time of writing, there is an extension being finished to add on a dining area, TV room and internet access to the existing kitchen. The kitchen itself has all new cookers, kettles, microwave and utensils. The toilet facilities are also modern, with full wheelchair access. There is only one shower in each of the bathrooms, though there are plans to build an utility block to address this issue.

The nearest shops are in Owaka, 5 minutes up the road. The site office has lots of local information, and a range of up-to-date DVDs for rent, ideal for a rainy afternoon. One of the biggest attractions of this park is the local wildlife, particularly the seals and the rare New Zealand sea-lions that make their home on the beach. When the tide is out they can be found lazing on the sand. They are quite used to human presence, and are well worth seeing in the flesh.

This is a lovely site in a genuinely wonderful location. Even while being such a short distance from the SH1, it feels properly out of the way and is a great place to visit or have a family holiday. It is worth booking ahead of time to be sure of a cabin during the summer.

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