$20.50/night is reasonable for a safe and quiet area to camp. Website was easy to navigate and make payment.nConvenient spot to park up so you can make your way to watch the penguins do their shift change.nShort walk to toilets which were clean and stocked, but open air so could easily get rained on in there.nQuite the popular area for campers in November and also walkers along the path
Not free: $20/ night from 9pm-9am. Pay online.nStay: stayed 1 night only 11/6/25nRubbish: has multiple rubbish binsnFacilities: cold water shower, camper waste disposals, portable and treated drinking water.Flushable toilets with toilet paper. 2x changing room. Female toilet clean and presentable whereas for the male toilet changing room benches broken, toilet seat broken but had toilet paper. The toilet roof is partially open.nParking: heaps of parkingnEntertainment: close to the beach where you can spot little blue penguins we saw 1. A beautiful clean park. Approx 7-10mins from town centre.nGeneral comment: theres a marine port opposite the camping site which can get very noisy, they work all night so bring ear plugs.
Probably the most quirky/weird/open minded freedom camping site from local councils we've ever come across.. you can probably camp wherever you want as long as you pay your park through the paymypark app. Choose the region, then choose the area exactly where you're camping. $20.50 per night if you're paying via debit card from 9pm to 9am the nxt day. Heaps and heaps of areas to park, the only downside is there is no localised toilet block. there are open air toilets by the beach area/parking area but only 1 cubicle and a mid size urinal for males, and 3 cubicle for females. Not too sure how are the other toilets on the other end of the field. Apart from that, this is probably one of the best freedom campsites we've come accross that is within walking distances to shops and the city. There are board walks along the bay area, a beach vollyball court and areas to fish around the talleys fish plant area. Thank you Timaru council.
Cons: $20.50 per night, got a knock on the door at 9:06am and told to leave as freedom camping is only 9pm to 9am, but there is no signage about campers needing to leave by 9am, only that the paid period is 9pm-9am.nnPros: flush toilet, dump station, potable water, outdoor cold shower, all flat spots that did not fill up, right on the beach, violet ball nets, walked to the penguins at 10pm and saw a few!
Even though its a car park, you can't go wrong for $20 a night, the toilets are close by and they weren't too bad, they were lit up at night.nYou are parked right next to a large grassy area, where we played disc golf. my partner went to look for penguins at around 9pmnThe only thing is, you may get awaken by the Dock workers with heavy machinery and lots of beeping, but I found it quite interesting watching them at work, especially there train going past.
