Whakapapa Holiday Park
Whakapapa Village State Highway 48, Tongariro National Park, Whakapapa, Tongariro National Park 3951 New Zealand
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#1 of 2 campsites in Whakapapa
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Shuttle bus service
BBQ facilities
Picnic area
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
Shared kitchen
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Room features
Kitchenette
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HOTEL CLASS
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Location
40Car recommended
Grade: 40 out of 100
4Restaurantswithin 10 km
13Attractionswithin 10 km
Whakapapa Village State Highway 48, Tongariro National Park, Whakapapa, Tongariro National Park 3951 New Zealand
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174Reviews2Q+A23Room tips
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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Depressing sites and basic toilets and showers. Not much water from the shower. Ladies toilets were DISGUSTING! Complaints were denied by the staff, everything was just fine. Don’t want to visit her home…. No refund off course when we said we were leaving because of this. No manager, which I asked for. My advice: DON’T GO HERE!
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Don’t go here! They deny health issues!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Good campsite near tongario np. Powered campsites are very lovely sourrounded by bush. Kitchen is with dish and cutlery but not as pretty as we expected. Its a mid-range price for powerered site compared to other campsites. When it is raining there its very slippery and muddy.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
sweetsunshinebeams wrote a review Sept 2023
New Plymouth, New Zealand179 contributions47 helpful votes
We stayed in a cabin at Whakapapa Holiday Park and it was very comfortable and warm with lots of space. We particularly loved the surroundings of this park - we were cocooned in nature with a beautiful stream behind us. Great facilities - a little dated, but the showers were hot and the kitchen had everything we needed for dining. The lady in the office was also really welcoming and kind. Thank you Whakapapa Holiday Park, we will be back.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Tania Gibbons, Guest Services / Front Office at Whakapapa Holiday Park
Responded 1 Oct 2023
We appreciate you taking the time to write a review and glad you enjoyed your time on the maunga
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
We have stayed here multiple times before and it is highly recommended. First time staying in a cabin and it was great. Good shared facilities, carpark outside the cabin and the cabin was clean and roomy. Heatpump and table/chairs also in the room.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Tania Gibbons, Guest Services / Front Office at Whakapapa Holiday Park
Responded 1 Oct 2023
Thanks for taking the time to write a review, we really appreciate it. Happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We loved staying here the bathrooms and facilities were dated but in good working order. We were given a space that well suited the size of our motorhome and found all staff so helpful and going above and beyond to make our stay special. So gorgeous much wildlife and amazing views a small walk away.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: In very cold weather the water hoses can easily freeze.
Great drying room
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Tania Gibbons, Guest Services / Front Office at Whakapapa Holiday Park
Responded 1 Oct 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write a review and glad to hear you enjoyed your time on the maunga
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A great camp to stay at in the Tongariro National Park in our campervan. The sites are all in amongst the Bush and it was very peaceful. There are cabins, tent sites and a lodge also. The facilities were clean with good showers and the staff were friendly and helpful.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Tania Gibbons, Guest Services / Front Office at Whakapapa Holiday Park
Responded 1 Oct 2023
We appreciate you taking the time to write a review and glad you enjoyed our facilities, park and village
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Experienced some rudeness from staff who clearly don’t think too much of tourists… Place was also run down, dirty, the laundry was all out of use and the kitchen was constantly full of flies. Had to walk a very long way in the dark to get to the toilets and facilities.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Tania Gibbons, Guest Services / Front Office at Whakapapa Holiday Park
Responded 7 Feb 2023
We are a camping ground. Most people bring a torch. There are lights on each site and a few street lights around the area but most campers bring there own torches or use there phone torch. As for flies, have you ever tried to control flies when you are in a kitchen with up to 20 other people, cooking with the windows open on a hot summers day in the bush. The campground is old but it is certainly not dirty. Once again we are not a hotel where you have a porter pick up after you, we are struggling with staff like every other company in the world but we do our best. We cant please everyone but you may see by the majority of our reviews we please many.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Navigator65528529538 wrote a review Jan 2023
I love this place. It reminds me of the super comfy YHAs in Europe. Staff were wonderfully friendly & helpful. We are regular campers so we have been to a few parks around. The kitchen is well stocked. The bathrooms have hot showers!!! The camp sites is small,but sufficient. I also suspect that most people here are in campervans rather than tents.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
This campsite rundown - with broken laundry facilities, dirty bathroom and kitchen windows, and broken kitchen doors and windows making it a cold and draughty place to eat. We had an issue with Dempsey’s, the shuttle company recommended by this campsite, on their website, with leaflets at the reception and by email - see pics. (There are only two Tongariro shuttle operators for Whakapapa village national park accomodation - go with summitshuttles.com instead). - When I suggested that the campsite also advise people the Dempsey’s shuttle leaves exactly on time and does not wait for people who’ve paid for that timeslot, she said absolutely not. - She told me to ‘take my entitlement elsewhere’ and leave the office. - Asking them to improve the information for their recommended shuttle service makes me ‘entitled’ - an appalling way to treat guests. - A member of staff at the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre told us the owner of Dempsey’s is called John. She wasn’t surprised by our experience, he is known to be rude amongst DoC staff who often hear of experiences like ours. Terrible service for a national park campground with rundown facilities, avoid staying here.…
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: There are only two Tongariro shuttle operators for Whakapapa village national park accomodation....
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Tania Gibbons, Guest Services / Front Office at Whakapapa Holiday Park
Responded 7 Feb 2023
I was not surprised to see this review and more than happy to address your points. And before I do, I will say you were the most disrespectful guest we have ever encountered, who was not prepared to listen to reason but only the sound of your own voice. Our facilities are cleaned thoroughly daily, when you have up to 200 guests and a worldwide issue of limited staff (3 of us run the park, 2 fulltime, 1 part-time, 24/7) you do your best to make sure the services you provide are delivered in the best way possible. If 3 photos of cobwebs is the best you can do to prove we are rundown, then we can’t be that bad. When all the guests arrive back from hiking, they arrive to sanitise, clean facilities. We do not have the time to stand down in the park and clean up after everyone, this is part of camping, you clean up after yourself. It is part of camping etiquette and called respect for others. Yes, the washing machine was out of order, we have no control over that, like many things that are happening in this new error of post covid, shipping parts in from overseas is a big issue especially over the Xmas New Year holiday, we have to get in line. The department of conservation is aware of this matter as these machines are there’s. This is on there list of issues to solve. They are doing their best to prioritise any issues in the National park. As contractors we wait in line. If you knew anything about our area, you would know in places where there is a cold and a warm season, spiders breed in spring or summer hence the reason there is an increase in spiderwebs. We can clean a cobweb off the window and within 24hrs it is there again. We do our best to keep on top of these beauties of nature, ridding them is not a priority of ours however we do sweep them away when we get time which is usually weekly or fortnightly depending on staffing and time. As for the kitchen door, it’s not broken, it’s a swing door, the only other door is the fire escape door. Now for the real issue. The one where you missed your bus because it leaves exactly on time and you were late. 7am is 7am. If the bus waited around for everyone that was late then how unfair is that to all those who were on time. Everyone else on that bus got the exact same confirmation as you did, they were all on time. When guests check in, we hand out a catalogue and we do say, be out front 15 minutes before as they do leave on time. When you book online directly with anyone, we don’t have control over that but you do get confirmation from Dempseys. Who are you to tell us who we should use and how we should go about informing our guests step by step rules when it was your fault you were late and for years we have been following the same system using the same company without issues. Only those who have missed a bus because they are late, are disgruntled. I can count on 1 hand in 3 years how many people have missed the bus from our destination. So you missed the 7am shuttle and had to wait an hour for the next one. At 7.30am you felt the need to approach one of our staff and go off at her, that you missed your bus and how can we recommend such a service, blaming everyone else but yourself. Our staff member stood there for a while and realised you were not going to stop or be reasoned with. She then asked you multiple times to stop but you didn’t so she walked away from you. It was also reported back from other guests that once you hopped on the next shuttle you continued by heckling the bus driver with no regard or respect for the other guests on the bus. We thought that after heading out for an 8 hour hike, you would enjoy the beauty of our maunga and how spiritually it can calm ones soul and bring you back to how beautiful our land is, forget all your worries. Well how wrong were we. It gave you 8 hours to stew and come back angrier than ever. You hopped straight off the bus, marched into our reception where there were 12 customers, 4 of those young children. These customers just finished a big day hiking as well, they were happy, hot and tired and just wanted a treat for themselves and their children to an ice cream. You did not care for their feelings as you were angry and wanted to be heard. You did NOT SUGGEST anything, with a raised voice and hot temper you continue where you left off that morning. So our staff member tried hard to calm you down seeing the look of disbelief of what was unfolding in front of the other customers but you were not having a bar of it, you were not there to reason or make suggestions in a reasonable adult manner. You were having a tantrum because you missed your bus. So she told you in a very firm yet very professional manner to take your entitlement out of our reception, not once but many times before you finally got the message, stamped your foot and finally left. As for feeling you needed to mention John Dempseys name, I will set you straight on something. John is the most hard working, respectful and kindest human being who has run his business in the Ruapehu district for over 40 years and we are proud to partner with him. He has come across his fair share of unreasonable folk but remained professional in his handling of any situation. You don’t know him; how dare you disrespect him. This only shows what sort of a person you are. He aroha whakato, He aroha puta mai – If kindness is sown, then kindness you shall be receive.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed in a powered campervan site. Semi secluded from your other campers which is good. Nice and clean hot showers and tpilet facilities. Well equiped shared kitchen and dining area. Good stock of essentials in the reception area and a coffee/hot food van out the front which is a nice touch. Walking tracks from the park which is great. Also walk to nearby hotels. Short drive to ski fields!!
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandManawatu-Wanganui RegionTongariro National ParkWhakapapa
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Frequently Asked Questions about Whakapapa Holiday Park
What are some of the property amenities at Whakapapa Holiday Park?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and laundry service.
What food & drink options are available at Whakapapa Holiday Park?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities during their stay.
Is parking available at Whakapapa Holiday Park?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Does Whakapapa Holiday Park have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Whakapapa Holiday Park offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at Whakapapa Holiday Park?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.
Is Whakapapa Holiday Park accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.