Kidds Bush Reserve Campsite
Lake Hawea
4.5 112 reviews
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Kidds Bush Reserve Campsite
Camp alongside Lake Hāwea in a large, grassy area with good shade from mountain beech trees. Walk along the lake shore, go fishing or swimming.
The Kidds Bush Reserve Camping Ground is super busy during the holidays an awesome spot with plenty of space to join on in with the locals.
Its away from the main road so it feels like you are in quite an isolated spot. The campsite is alongside the lake in a large grassy area, with lots of shade from beech trees. Walking track nearby. This place gets extremely cold in the winter, so cold that the water pipes all freeze up! Well out of the sandfly zone - wicked.
There is a shelter and a boat ramp here.
Notices
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Military training excercise near Kidds Bush 16-18 May
A military training exercise will take place on private land near Kidds Bush on 16–18 May. Soldiers will pass through Kidds Bush Campsite and nature walk and Sawyer Burn Track. Blank firing may be heard – expect some nearby noise and, at times, up to 40 soldiers passing through. The campsites and track will remain open.First published on 24 April 2026.
Accommodation
DOC Campsite Pricing
Kidds Bush Reserve Campsite is categorised as a DOC Standard Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing. Prices vary for some campsites and may include seasonal pricing. Visit the DOC website for exact pricing.
DOC Standard Campsite
Standard campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services than Serviced campsites. These campsites have toilets, a water supply that could be treated or untreated tap water, or from a stream or lake, and vehicle or boat access. Bring your own soap for washing hands. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Wood BBQs and fireplaces, cold showers, picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided; this will vary from site to site.
| Feature | Value | Value |
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| Unpowered Site | Adult | $15.00 to $20.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Child | $7.50 to $10.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC OtagoCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Wanaka Region ▷ Wanaka Township |
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Operating Season And Hours |
The campsite operates year-round, with bookings required. Bookings for the 2026/27 season open at 12 noon on Friday 15 May 2026. The campsite is very busy and often booked out between Boxing Day and early February. Same-day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain. Tap water is not available in winter. |
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Basic Camping
Dump Station
Google Maps
Reviews
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What an amazing place to camp for the night.
Rachael Dyson -
Place was good!
RaghaV -
Beautiful spot for camping.
Paula -
What a camp!
Susan Boyton -
The best little spot .
Maree
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Gravel road to get here, best gravel road I've been on so smooth!!
Such beautiful views and have 4 bars of service (with skinny aka spark I believe) and was able to use my DOC pass which was awesome!
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Beautiful views, nice lake access, half a dozen clean porta potties, shaded seating area, lots of spaces.
It got a little rowdy at night, but overall a lovely spot.
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Really lovely location.
The views are amazing and right next to the lake for a little paddle. Amazingly very few flies which was a mercy. Facilities are very limited though with untreated water and currently some pretty smelly porta loos as the toilets are closed. Up a fairly long gravel road. Relatively well maintained though is fairly narrow around some of the many cattle grids so wouldn't want to come up it with anything too wide.
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Fabulous site, not signposted off the main road.
Some fairly level ground, but mostly gently sloping, mostly grass but also on gravel beach or track. Shaded or open - some under trees. Good for all - tents, vans, caravans.
Long drop loos closed but plenty (about 10) portaloos and a couple of washbasins for pots n pans. No rubbish bins, so bring in - take out.Boat launch from gravel beach provides entertainment tho noisy jetboats towing skiers not ideal.
A few sandflies, but not too bad.
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Beautiful view.
Very quiet place. Last 6km gravel, but in good condition. Main toilets closed, but as a substitute there are plenty of non-flush toilets. Which are quite full, but odorless. A bit windy, but you are by the lake. Good phone signal.
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Incredible place, so lovely.
The views are amazing, lots of space, very basic but low cost so that's fine. Definitely go there.
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Stunning beautiful site in the bush next to the lake.
Icy overnight in winter as expected but thankfully no sandflies. Port-a-loos a plenty over winter. Highly recommended. Note 6km unsealed but very well formed road suitable for large vehicles. Only issue is it’s mostly single lane so it’s difficult if you meet someone coming in the other direction!
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What a camp!
The best on our trip. This little gem is easy to get to despite the sign indicating it’s not suitable for large campers. We drove down easily in a 7m Sprinter. The views across the lake are quintessential NZ vistas. Plenty of room to park and there are toilets on site. Do the right thing and pay your fees on entry or online. Plenty of mobile coverage.
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This has got to be one of the most amazing sites for scenery, swimming, fishing.
If you want off the beaten track quiet and wonderful then this is it. The camp is basic the toilets well, they have been used all season and could do with being emptied. How ever if your self contained it’s great. It’s NZ scenery at its best I think. But I’m a back to basic live nature no fuss person. P.s the track is 6 km of track, it’s ok slow and easy.
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Wide open campsite with tons of space to spread out and RIGHT on the lake for unmatched access!
Parking spots both in a covered forested area as well as on the beach. Only negatives: pretty crowded and only porta potties for restrooms (which were closed), but at least they were nice and plenty of them!
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Beautiful scenery but crowded with families during the holidays and the portable toilets were full - ugh!
Some sandflies. The 6 km unsealed road to get here was not too bad.
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My husband and I stayed here and it was amazing !
Sandflies were no issue. Only downside is the loos but the rest of the place makes up for it. Lake is beautiful!
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Very scenic and peaceful.
You can park right by the water and access the lake. Grass was freshly cut. Main toilets still out of order but plenty of portaloos that were clean enough.
The gravel road wasn’t as bad as I was expecting even in our large motorhome.
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The road to the campsite is terrible, it's washed out by water with a lot of deep holes, and plenty of cattle stops on the way.
There were sandflies. Facilities are closed and the only toilets were mostly very full, portable plastic ones like in festivals. Untreated water on the site, picnic area with sinks of which some have broken drain.
View is nice, distance from main road made it a quiet place with a lot of space for parking or camping. Nevertheless if not on the campsite pass, I wouldn't say it's worth it.
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Great campsite right on the lake and about 45 min from Wanaka.
Trail to hike just from camp. Cooking area and water which does need to be boiled. Some wind with less protection than ideal. Plenty of private spots for a tent camper which is essential for a good campground.
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Good place for a night.
You can park on the beach or under the trees. Many people swam, but I found 20-ish still not warm enough, especially when the wind kicked up. The hike around the back was nice for families. 30-40 min and not too much elevation change. This was my 1st camping experience in NZ. I can’t say it’s quite as good as I’m used to (campfires, dense mountain forest, less bugs), but I still had a nice, relaxing time.
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It’s an interesting unsaved road into this campsite but fine for our escapecampervan.
We’d been warned of some cows but didn’t come across any. The beach is perfect for skimming stones. We only did the short forest walk and not the steep climb to the tree lines. A few bugs, some persistent bees.
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Gravel road to get here, best gravel road I've been on so smooth!!
Such beautiful views and have 4 bars of service (with skinny aka spark I believe) and was able to use my DOC pass which was awesome!
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Beautiful views, nice lake access, half a dozen clean porta potties, shaded seating area, lots of spaces.
It got a little rowdy at night, but overall a lovely spot.
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Really lovely location.
The views are amazing and right next to the lake for a little paddle. Amazingly very few flies which was a mercy. Facilities are very limited though with untreated water and currently some pretty smelly porta loos as the toilets are closed. Up a fairly long gravel road. Relatively well maintained though is fairly narrow around some of the many cattle grids so wouldn't want to come up it with anything too wide.
-
Fabulous site, not signposted off the main road.
Some fairly level ground, but mostly gently sloping, mostly grass but also on gravel beach or track. Shaded or open - some under trees. Good for all - tents, vans, caravans.
Long drop loos closed but plenty (about 10) portaloos and a couple of washbasins for pots n pans. No rubbish bins, so bring in - take out.Boat launch from gravel beach provides entertainment tho noisy jetboats towing skiers not ideal.
A few sandflies, but not too bad.
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Beautiful view.
Very quiet place. Last 6km gravel, but in good condition. Main toilets closed, but as a substitute there are plenty of non-flush toilets. Which are quite full, but odorless. A bit windy, but you are by the lake. Good phone signal.
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Incredible place, so lovely.
The views are amazing, lots of space, very basic but low cost so that's fine. Definitely go there.
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Stunning beautiful site in the bush next to the lake.
Icy overnight in winter as expected but thankfully no sandflies. Port-a-loos a plenty over winter. Highly recommended. Note 6km unsealed but very well formed road suitable for large vehicles. Only issue is it’s mostly single lane so it’s difficult if you meet someone coming in the other direction!
-
What a camp!
The best on our trip. This little gem is easy to get to despite the sign indicating it’s not suitable for large campers. We drove down easily in a 7m Sprinter. The views across the lake are quintessential NZ vistas. Plenty of room to park and there are toilets on site. Do the right thing and pay your fees on entry or online. Plenty of mobile coverage.
-
This has got to be one of the most amazing sites for scenery, swimming, fishing.
If you want off the beaten track quiet and wonderful then this is it. The camp is basic the toilets well, they have been used all season and could do with being emptied. How ever if your self contained it’s great. It’s NZ scenery at its best I think. But I’m a back to basic live nature no fuss person. P.s the track is 6 km of track, it’s ok slow and easy.
-
Wide open campsite with tons of space to spread out and RIGHT on the lake for unmatched access!
Parking spots both in a covered forested area as well as on the beach. Only negatives: pretty crowded and only porta potties for restrooms (which were closed), but at least they were nice and plenty of them!
-
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Beautiful scenery but crowded with families during the holidays and the portable toilets were full - ugh!
Some sandflies. The 6 km unsealed road to get here was not too bad.
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My husband and I stayed here and it was amazing !
Sandflies were no issue. Only downside is the loos but the rest of the place makes up for it. Lake is beautiful!
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Very scenic and peaceful.
You can park right by the water and access the lake. Grass was freshly cut. Main toilets still out of order but plenty of portaloos that were clean enough.
The gravel road wasn’t as bad as I was expecting even in our large motorhome.
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The road to the campsite is terrible, it's washed out by water with a lot of deep holes, and plenty of cattle stops on the way.
There were sandflies. Facilities are closed and the only toilets were mostly very full, portable plastic ones like in festivals. Untreated water on the site, picnic area with sinks of which some have broken drain.
View is nice, distance from main road made it a quiet place with a lot of space for parking or camping. Nevertheless if not on the campsite pass, I wouldn't say it's worth it.
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Great campsite right on the lake and about 45 min from Wanaka.
Trail to hike just from camp. Cooking area and water which does need to be boiled. Some wind with less protection than ideal. Plenty of private spots for a tent camper which is essential for a good campground.
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Good place for a night.
You can park on the beach or under the trees. Many people swam, but I found 20-ish still not warm enough, especially when the wind kicked up. The hike around the back was nice for families. 30-40 min and not too much elevation change. This was my 1st camping experience in NZ. I can’t say it’s quite as good as I’m used to (campfires, dense mountain forest, less bugs), but I still had a nice, relaxing time.
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Beautiful setting.
Basic amenities but for me a swim in the lake made it worthwhile. Lake not as clean and clear as others in the area. Couple of water taps available (not drinking water).
I wouldn't want to drive here after dark as the road is rough and the cows are all over it and not that keen to move. I also worried about vehicles at night driving near people in tents- not very safe.
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What a beautiful site.
Right on the lake with mountains sinking in. Great hiking and birdsong.
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Beautiful campground.
One of our favourite ones - unfortunately just portable toilets which minimize the experience a bit