Campervan Campsites in Mercury Bay and the Coromandel

Quick summary: For campervan travellers, the best place to stay for Cathedral Cove is within walking distance of it, at the holiday park in Hahei. Nearby, Hot Water Beach, Cooks Beach and Whitianga have more holiday parks, and the Coromandel’s forested valleys and remote northern bays have Department of Conservation campsites with simpler facilities. This guide covers the options for campervans and motorhomes, and why booking ahead matters in summer.

At a glance
Closest to the cove	The Hahei holiday park
Nearby	Hot Water Beach, Cooks Beach and Whitianga holiday parks
DOC campsites	Broken Hills, Wentworth Valley and sites in the far north
Freedom camping	Only at designated sites, generally for self-contained vehicles
Book ahead	Summer and holiday weekends
Supplies	Whitianga, Tairua and Thames

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Where can you stay near Cathedral Cove?

Place	Type	Why stay
Hahei	Holiday park	Walk to the beach, the cove track and kayak tours
Hot Water Beach	Holiday park	Walk to the hot water at low tide
Cooks Beach	Holiday park	A long, sheltered beach near Shakespeare Cliff
Whitianga	Holiday parks	Services, boat tours and Buffalo Beach
Tairua and Pauanui	Holiday parks	The east coast south of Hahei

Which DOC campsites suit an RV on the Coromandel?

The Department of Conservation runs several campsites on the peninsula, with simple facilities and no power:

• Broken Hills, in a forested valley near Tairua, with river swimming and old gold-mining tunnels.
• Wentworth Valley, near Whangamatā, with a walk to a waterfall.
• The Kauaeranga Valley, near Thames, the base for the Pinnacles walk.
• The far north, at bays such as Port Jackson and Fletcher Bay, reached by unsealed roads that rental agreements may exclude.

Check DOC’s website for facilities and bookings, and arrive with a full water tank and charged batteries.

Do you need to book?

In summer and on holiday weekends, yes. The Coromandel is one of Auckland’s favourite getaways, and holiday parks near Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach fill quickly. Outside those times, you can often book a day or two ahead.

What about freedom camping?

On the peninsula, Thames-Coromandel District Council sets out a short list of spots where certified self-contained vehicles may stay outside a campground, and that list is revised from time to time, so look it up when you plan each night. For the wider picture, see our sister site’s national guide to freedom camping.

Where are the dump stations and supplies?

Holiday parks have dump stations for guests, and there are public dump stations in the larger towns. Whitianga, Tairua, Thames and Whangamatā have supermarkets and fuel; Hahei has only a small store.

For more on Hahei, see Hahei village.

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Frequently Asked Questions