Russell-Orongo Bay Holiday Park
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Russell-Orongo Bay Holiday Park
When you stay with us, you’ll be immersed in a natural playground, see rare North Island weka and pateke roam free around the park and you may even have the chance to see brown kiwi in the surrounding native bush.
Wake up to the sound of native birds, hear the call of the kiwi at night as you gaze at the star filled sky or sit around the camp fire. It’s the perfect setting to make memories as nature intended!
You’ll have the best of both worlds when you stay with us. We’re set amongst 14 acres of native New Zealand bush and only minutes away from the centre of Russell and Oneroa Bay one of the many gorgeous beaches.
We are the perfect location for families, large groups or couples to have a relaxing and fun filled holiday with affordable accommodation to suit any budget.
We have a range of self-contained options including a cottage, holiday house, bungalows and bay view cabins, ranging from studio up to 3 bedroom. Many with their own private deck to relax and watch the wildlife go by or the magical sunsets over Orongo Bay. The tipi and sites for tents, caravans and campervans are all set amongst our gorgeous native bush setting. Our cabins are a great budget option making use of the shared facilities. The lodge is fully equipped to accommodate large groups of over 60 people with purpose built kitchen, dining and lounge areas.
We have everything you need for a hassle-free holiday including a swimming pool, wood fired pizza oven, campfire and our very own kiwi trail through native bush - if you’re lucky you may even see a kiwi! And there is complimentary parking for all guests.
Take the short 5min drive to discover the stories, history and heritage of Russell, a romantic and charming town and the first capital of New Zealand.
There are so many fantastic things to see and do in the area including cycling, fishing, walking, dining, golden beaches and historic sites, all only a few minutes drive from the park. Our location provides a central base to explore the stunning Bay of Islands. Make the most of our complimentary tours and activities booking service onsite with our friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Book with us and a portion of what you pay will support our efforts to save endangered wildlife and ecosystems within our predator free holiday park.
When you are here you can’t help but take in the sights and sounds of nature and the abundant wildlife making a stay with us a truly unique experience.
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North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Russell |
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Camping Grounds
Dump Station
Reviews
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2.0/5
Not worth the money - best avoided!
We stayed here to treat ourselves to a little bit of (relative!) luxury as we travel in our camper - hot shower, wifi and to do some washing was our aim. And I’m sad to say it was far from it! Arrived to hear from reception that pool wasn’t working (no mention of this when we booked the night before!) and that washing machines only took $2 coins, of which there were none on the site so it meant a trip back into Russell to find change. Maybe this was our oversight but surely campsite tokens would solve this. Facilities are very basic and you only get a small amount of wifi before you have to pay, a real shame. And then to top it all off, when I went to have a shower I put my $2 coin in to find that there was no hot water and I’d just paid for a cold shower. Overall not what we’d hoped, and maybe $48 a night might seem like good value but when you add on all the extra costs, this was a big spend for us to leave disappointed. The only silver lining was that were able to hear kiwis in the night.
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5.0/5
Lovely stay.
We had the great fortune of meeting James (the owner) who was on site staying directly across from us, and he and his family made us feel very welcome. The fire pit was awesome - we scavenged for wood in the forrest and enjoyed a few beers by the fire. And then fell asleep to the beautiful sound of kiwis. Will definitely come back again.
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0.5/5
Warm reception but poorly maintained campsite.
BBQ's not suitable for use, shower drains blocked, just an overall poor experience after camping at a DOC site.
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1.5/5
Having stayed in Paihia many times we decided to try Russell for an overnight stop on Queens birthday weekend.
Although a friendly and helpful welcome was received the rest of the site was a huge let down at $61! The facilites are tired and poorly maintained with the womens showers alternating between low pressure cold and high pressure scalding hot meaning a quick dash in and out of the water while the shower curtain wrapped itself around your legs. The grass sites became very muddy during rain with no nearby pathways connecting to the facility blocks. Overall compared to Paihia Top 10 at $40 a night, this was very disappointing.
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5.0/5
It was so welcoming and such am awesome place for kids and families.
Staff were on point except it says coffee and that was suppose to be available but wasn't, that is my only complaint.
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5.0/5
I would highly recommend this campsite and cannot wait to return!
Had the best time here and was actually sad to leave. The owners James and Tori are the loveliest couple you will ever meet with a beautiful family! Great swimming pool to relax in and the facilities are spot on! Great kitchen full of utensils and even has a pizza oven and fish smokery. The showers were good strength and hot. Thanks for the great stay!
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4.5/5
The staff were very friendly and helpful.
Clean showers and bathrooms and the kitchens had everything we needed. We were lucky to be there during the kiwi mating season so they were very active. You could go out around midnight and take a stroll in their territory.
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4.0/5
Nice campsite, close to Russell.
Facilities are somewhat older, but the showers are nice and hot. Lovely owners who helpt us a great deal when we need to go to the hospital!
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0.5/5
Warm reception but poorly maintained campsite.
BBQ's not suitable for use, shower drains blocked, just an overall poor experience after camping at a DOC site.
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2.0/5
Not worth the money - best avoided!
We stayed here to treat ourselves to a little bit of (relative!) luxury as we travel in our camper - hot shower, wifi and to do some washing was our aim. And I’m sad to say it was far from it! Arrived to hear from reception that pool wasn’t working (no mention of this when we booked the night before!) and that washing machines only took $2 coins, of which there were none on the site so it meant a trip back into Russell to find change. Maybe this was our oversight but surely campsite tokens would solve this. Facilities are very basic and you only get a small amount of wifi before you have to pay, a real shame. And then to top it all off, when I went to have a shower I put my $2 coin in to find that there was no hot water and I’d just paid for a cold shower. Overall not what we’d hoped, and maybe $48 a night might seem like good value but when you add on all the extra costs, this was a big spend for us to leave disappointed. The only silver lining was that were able to hear kiwis in the night.
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1.5/5
Having stayed in Paihia many times we decided to try Russell for an overnight stop on Queens birthday weekend.
Although a friendly and helpful welcome was received the rest of the site was a huge let down at $61! The facilites are tired and poorly maintained with the womens showers alternating between low pressure cold and high pressure scalding hot meaning a quick dash in and out of the water while the shower curtain wrapped itself around your legs. The grass sites became very muddy during rain with no nearby pathways connecting to the facility blocks. Overall compared to Paihia Top 10 at $40 a night, this was very disappointing.
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5.0/5
Lovely stay.
We had the great fortune of meeting James (the owner) who was on site staying directly across from us, and he and his family made us feel very welcome. The fire pit was awesome - we scavenged for wood in the forrest and enjoyed a few beers by the fire. And then fell asleep to the beautiful sound of kiwis. Will definitely come back again.
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5.0/5
It was so welcoming and such am awesome place for kids and families.
Staff were on point except it says coffee and that was suppose to be available but wasn't, that is my only complaint.
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1.0/5
52 for one person - and not even a cold shower is included.
Definitely the worst camping I did so far. And not worth the money at all.
Hi Jennifer, we do have single person special pricing available so we apologise if you were charged for 2 people - booking online automatically does this. If you had raised it during your stay we would have been more than happy to refund you to a single person rate. We are sorry you didn't enjoy your stay. We have nice hot showers but we do limit water take by charging for shower times at peak periods as we are on tank water that is naturally sourced from a waterfall and we are subject to council water take limits so we want to make sure there is enough hot water to go around. Off peak times we offer free hot showers wherever possible. We wish you all the best.
Tori Burns
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5.0/5
I would highly recommend this campsite and cannot wait to return!
Had the best time here and was actually sad to leave. The owners James and Tori are the loveliest couple you will ever meet with a beautiful family! Great swimming pool to relax in and the facilities are spot on! Great kitchen full of utensils and even has a pizza oven and fish smokery. The showers were good strength and hot. Thanks for the great stay!
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4.5/5
The staff were very friendly and helpful.
Clean showers and bathrooms and the kitchens had everything we needed. We were lucky to be there during the kiwi mating season so they were very active. You could go out around midnight and take a stroll in their territory.
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4.0/5
Nice campsite, close to Russell.
Facilities are somewhat older, but the showers are nice and hot. Lovely owners who helpt us a great deal when we need to go to the hospital!
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2.0/5
It would be a nice place, but way to expensive.
If i have to pay 55$ for a site with power and then an extra 2$ for shower and extra for wifi that's to much.
Wouldn't come again.
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5.0/5
Our Playcentre was in need of a family friendly getaway.
We all booked accommodation to best suit our individual needs and enjoyed meeting at the communal spots throughout our 3 day visit. We did campfires complete with Maori songs, stories, and of course marshmellow roasting, we built a whare, went for a kiwi walk, playground, swimming and the kids explored bush making huts of their own. We had such a lot of fun, this is now to become an annual tradition! See you next year Orongo Bay!!
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5.0/5
Stayed at Orongo a few weekends back, the new owners are lovely and friendly, and the cabin I stayed in was warm and cmfortable.
The setting is lovely and is perfect for families. A few minutes from town and they are also eco friendly, recycling and composting facilities available! Will be back
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5.0/5
Beautiful campsite, including pool, BBQ area and good, very clean facilities.
Staff are welcoming and friendly! Also they will tell you about good spots for possible kiwi and Weka encounters. Very close driving distance to Russell. So no problem if you are booked on an early boat trip from Russell. All in all great holiday park- we would definitely stay here once again.
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4.0/5
Classic campground, quiet when we were there.
Older facilities but free hot showers. Friendly office staff too. Very close to Russell, 5min drive. Can hear kiwis on a clear night if you’re nearer the back of the campground.
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4.0/5
Nice camping but a bit expensive for the winter season ($40,- powered campsite, two adults).
Part of the toilets and showers were closed due to the season. No free wifi. Kitchen is very basic.
Thanks for your review Leonie, we hope you enjoyed your time in Russell and the Bay of Islands. We are competitively priced and pride ourselves on being the best value Holiday Park in Russell. During winter months we close one of our amenity blocks in order to reduce water usage and waste and manage energy efficiency which minimises our impact on the environment. Whilst we don't offer free WiFi it is available from as little as $2 per day. The kitchen has fridge-freezers, oven, microwave, toasters and kettles. Kitchenware is available to hire for a small charge. We appreciate your feedback and taking the time to review. Kind Regards, The Team, Russell-Orongo Bay Holiday Park
Tori Burns
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5.0/5
My family and I stayed here for a few days and it was a welcome change to the more manufactured parks such as top 10.
Great space and wonderful amenities in a lovely location. What's more you got the feeling that the owners actually cared about the place and their guests - pure NZ!
Thank you for your review. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay at our unique and special Park. We offer spacious sites, a wood fired pizza oven and camp fire, native bush walks and the opportunity to interact with rare bird life, including kiwi and North Island weka, in their natural environment, so we agree that we are not your average Holiday Park! We hope to see you again soon Mike! Kind Regards, The Team, Russell-Orongo Bay Holiday Park
Tori Burns
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5.0/5
The name 'holiday park' at first put us off but after reading the reviews decided to try it as freedom camping in the area is not easy.
Well what an amazing site, quiet and relaxed, well OK apart from bird noise. Great site, nice pitches when we stayed it was just after the bank holiday and the place was empty. Great location ideal for sea kayaking, Russell has a bar with live music.
Thank you for the great feedback Andy. We're glad that you enjoyed the quiet and restorative setting and hope you left us feeling rested and revived. Over 55 species of birds make the Park their home and we agree the Park can come alive with their calls! It's great to see that you made the most of your time here, we are a great base for exploring all that is on offer in the Bay of Islands. Kind Regards, The Team at Russell- Orongo Bay Holiday Park
Tori Burns
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4.5/5
I love staying in places where the owners are passionate about what they're doing, and about looking after the landscape that surrounds them.
That is exactly what Russell-Orongo Bay Holiday Park is. Travelling through New Zealand as a sole female traveller, the owner, Angela, couldn't have made me feel more welcome or looked after. Aside from being a fountain of local knowledge, Angela was extremely kind and gentle, and made you feel so much more than just "another customer". The personal feel of the place was what I loved about my stay above all. Apart from that, the Holiday Park is on the fringes of some extremely beautiful bays and drives, a five minute drive from the stunning town of Russell, there are hikes to go on just off the site, and the facilities are simple, but clean and eco-friendly. Perfect. I stayed in one of the glamping tents and I would really recommend the Holiday Park as a place to stay for anyone. Thank you so much to Angela for such a lovely stay!
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5.0/5
Very nice place.
Well kept and friendly. I liked very much the 'environmentally aware' attitude of the owners. The kids loved the pool which was very clean and a great size.
We had a great time. :)
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5.0/5
We totally loved our stay - the highlights would be the pizza oven, the bird calls, seeing the stars when star gazing with the kids...
Never mind the laid back, peaceful atmosphere and gorgeous scenery. The facilities are clean, tidy and just what we needed - flat campervan parks too which is always a bonus! We'll totally be back.
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3.5/5
A pleasant park.
5 minutes drive to Russell. Nice outdoor BBQ areas (summer). Was a bit muddy when we visited in winter.
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4.5/5
The campsite is lovely and in a good location near Russell.
The facilities are very good and it's a nice and quiet place, except the chicken and weka's :-). We tried to spot some Kiwi at night but the best place to spot them was a fireplace with noisy people. So the Kiwi stayed away. Overall highly recommended.
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4.0/5
A relaxed holiday park that is surrounded with native birds.
Hearing kiwi all night and day was wonderful. Unfortunately we didn't manage to see any this time, although the bush track is neat to do for the whole family.
Wonderful to have a swimming pool available. Very refreshing in the hot summer sun, more shade/cover would mean the area would get more use.
Excellent free range eggs for sale and book exchange available. A lot of foreign tourists/backpackers are staying so lots of great conversations had.
The pizza oven was a huge hit and a great place to meet everyone.
I hear they will be planting a herb garden near it so those pizzas will taste even better.
The staff are wiling to listen and welcome suggestions. A hot water zip, non slip mats in the kitchen, a herb garden, and lemon trees are planned for 2016!
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5.0/5
One of the best camps!
Very nice and helpful owners, clean facilities, big kitchen and TV room, free hot showers. We stayed for 3 nights and really enjoyed it.
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4.0/5
Stayed there for two nights at the end of November - $25 per person (powered).
It's a really nice and quiet place with a lot of nature and wild birds around. At night you can go for a walk to see some kiwis. Good and clean facilities. The owners are very friendly. You can even buy some very fresh eggs from the chicken running around.
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5.0/5
A lovely place with everything you need to relax.
Pretty good quality of equipment, maintained carefully.
Nice free range chickens (eggs are sold!), many birds, plenty of space (at least in November).
Distance to the city of Russell (which is lovely as well, not so busy as most other touristic places) is approx 2 km.
Very recommendable!
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4.5/5
Lovely campsite just outside of Russell.
It was very quiet when we visited (October) and when we arrived we were greeted by chickens which made our son's day :) the trampoline was also a big hit. The powered pitches were on grass. We walked into Russell which took about 45 minutes each way. It cost $42 for two of us and the baby which was a bit pricey but overall very nice.
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4.5/5
Good value (16$/d/p).
A very big and very nice place to stay in the Bay of Islands. The campground is huge, with big open places - and very nice hidden and shaded tent sites also if you like it better. Facilities are a bit old but well maintained, just as the lawn - so comfortable if you're intent! Full of wildlife here, we even spotted up to eight colorful native parrots that we had never seen before in two months travelling NZ. The owner is very friendly and knows what's worth doing around).
