Kaitoke beach on Great Barrier Island . Photo / Kenny Rodger PEACE , QUIET AND ADVENTURE A DRIVE AWAYNORTH ISLANDNEWMoturua Island , Bay of Islands . Basic toilet and water supply for 25 people will be open by the autumn . Boat access only . It is next to a DoC standard campsite at Urupukapuka Island . Katrina Upton , DoC Bay of Islands area community relations manager , says Moturua Island will appeal to those with sea kayaks and small runabouts . " It ' s for people who are more independent and wanting somewhere to stop overnight that ' s a little different . It has peace and quiet and isolation . We have upgraded the 4 km walking track which loops around the island scenic reserve . It is suitable for families because we have improved the gradient . It takes 30 minutes to walk over a ridge between bays and stop for a picnic and swim before you return . " The few holiday homes on the island have live - in caretakers . French explorer Marion du Fresne stopped at the island three years before Captain Cook in 1769 . It has six recorded pa sites . Contact Russell Information Centre , ph 09 403 - 9005 . NEWKiripapango , Ngaruroro River , Kaweka Forest Park , Hawkes Bay . Reached from the Napier - Taihape road . Work has finished on a 1 km access road to the Oxbow pasture camp site and basic facilities . Campers fill their billies from the river 200 m away . DoC ' s Pat Sheridan says : " It ' s a very pleasant spot . .. . sheltered and quiet . It ' s right at the backdoor of the Kaweka Forest Park and several tracks . DoC is responding to a demand for a camp here . " Contact DoC Hawkes Bay office , ph 06 834 - 3111 . NEWLake Arapuni , Western Shore , Landing Rd , 1 hour ' s drive from Hamilton . It has basic facilities , toilet and water supply . Landscaping yet to be completed . DoC Maniapoto area acting manager John Gumbley says the site has been used for a few years by anglers and campers but recent work makes it more amenable for family use . Motor Caravan Association Waikato official Dawn Fellows says : " It ' s a beautiful , tranquil spot with surrounding views of lake and countryside . And it ' s close for Waikato people who live in town and like to get away from it all . " Attractions include fishing , waterskiing , the Arapuni hydro dam , built in 1929 , the Jones ' Landing rock outcrops and Jim Barnett Reserve walking tracks . Contact DoC Maniapoto office , ph 07 878 - 1050 . UPGRADE Uretiti Beach , Waipu , Whangarei . On SH 1 , 8 km north of Waipu . The upgrade includes four extra toilets , which are on a dry vault system favoured for sand country . Classed as standard , the camp has barbecue and fireplaces , picnic tables , rubbish collection , is connected to Waipu town water supply but still has no power . Thousands of shrubs planted for shelter will eventually replace the shade lost when the old pine trees were felled for camper safety . Security has improved with installation of gates opened by a swipe card . It has up to 1000 - 1500 campers over the Christmas - New Year holidays . Shaun Anderson , DoC Whangarei assets manager , likes the camp because " it is relaxed freedom camping . sites are not marked out , there are no concrete paths or boardwalks . It ' s built on the back dune so it ' s a short walk over the foredunes to the ocean beach . " The camp is popular with campervan users . Contact DoC Whangarei area office , ph 09 470 - 3360 . UPGRADE Port Jackson , Coromandel Peninsula . The standard camping area , 45 km north of Coromandel and near Cape Colville , is a summer favourite alongside a sister camp at Fletcher Bay . Work to boost the number of toilets , showers and water supply , to raise capacity to 450 people , is expected to finish in June . Peter Carter of DoC says the spot is ideal for families . " It ' s natural and you look across a half - moon - shaped bay to Great Barrier Island . Last week dolphins and orca came through the bay . Anyone can catch a fish here and within 15 minutes ' drive to Fletchers you can take the Coromandel Walkway for a pleasant scenic walk round to Stony Bay . " DoC community relations manager Joy Mickelson says the capacity of the popular Waikawau camping area on the east coast , has also been boosted for 150 more campers . Competition for sites means both camps have a " first in , first served " policy . Contact Kauaeranga Visitor Centre , ph 07 867 - 9080 . SOUTH ISLAND NEWCanaan Downs , Takaka Hill , Abel Tasman National Park , Nelson . Greg Napp , DoC community relations manager , says the camp was a farm , which DoC bought through the Nature Heritage . He says the camp ' s raw appearance will improve . " It ' s very simple as opposed to the beach camp grounds . " A nearby attraction is Harwoods Hole , 176 m deep and 15 m wide , among limestone formations . It ' s a beautiful place to go biking , nice views , nice bits of bush , ground is undulating and no huge uphills to do . Some bikers take a track to Takaka township . It is close to the Takaka hill venue for the Canaan Downs Festival , being held from December 29 to January 2 , 2008 . The new camp is on Canaan Rd , off SH 60 , the same as Harwoods Hole . Contact Nelson Regional Visitor Centre , ph 03 546 - 9339 . NEW Moawhitu , Greville Harbour , d ' Urville Island , Marlborough Sounds . Boat access only . The island is separated from the mainland by the narrow strait French Pass . DoC has established a basic camp , with a toilet and running water . Roy Grose , DoC area manager , says : " It ' s a spectacular site at the north western end of the beach . There is a mixture of mature native bush , sand dunes , a sweeping beach , interesting geological formations and an inland lake . " He expects it will be used mostly as a sheltered stop during sea kayak circumnavigations of the island , which are popular despite the island being exposed to northerly Cook Strait storms . " We call the site Moawhitu . .. we ' ve found moa bones in the sand dunes , as well as remnants of the native thrush , kakapo , tuatara . .." The sand dunes at Greville Harbour are up to 25 m high and extend inland for 400 m . After centuries of Maori occupation , the island was milled for kohekohe timber during clearance for farming and there was a copper mining venture in the 1860 s . about 40 residents farm on the island and are served by a water taxi from French Pass . Contact Picton Visitor Centre , ph 03 520 - 3113 . UPGRADESouthland . Mavora Lakes Park , Te Anau area . Southlanders know of it but it ' s a bit off the beaten track for half a million visitors in Fiordland National Park annually . Turn off SH 94 , 30 km north of Mossburn . It ' s 39 km down the road . The upgrade is really a " tidy up ", with new toilets , picnic tables and signs . Beth Masser , DoC community relations manager , says : " It ' s a very scenic spot , with two beautiful lakes and benefit of having open tussock lands as well as beech forest and alpine tops _ so you have a range of landscapes . What ' s great about it for people is that it ' s managed informally _ facilities are the bare minimum . There ' s shelter but it could do with less _ you need wind to blow the sandflies away . " It ' s not in a national park , so there are opportunities to take your horse or dog or motorbike , mountain bike . The camp is between the two lakes _ one lake is for motor boating , the other for quiet recreation . " North Mavora Lake is 9 . 5 km long . The South Mavora Lake is 2 . 4 km long . Contact Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre , Te Anau , ph 03 249 - 0200 . UPGRADEPurakaunui Bay camping area , Catlins Coast , southeast Otago . Cheryl Pullar , DoC community relations manager , says : " The upgrade has replaced toilets and it is serviced and cleaned twice weekly . There is an honesty system for paying fees . It ' s really lovely . You definitely get peace and quiet there except for the New Year period . Camp there and take in the sights . Nearest shops and fuel is 25 minutes ' drive at Owaka . North Islanders can ' t believe how good this place is . " The bay ' s high cliffs were in scenes of Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion , Witch and the Wardrobe . From here , visit the Purakaunui Falls _ 20 m and falling in three tiers , revealed after a 10 - minute walk . Contact Catlins Information Centre , ph 03 415 - 8371 .