Waikawa Bay Holiday Park is a privately owned, family-run park on the quiet shores of Waikawa Bay, around five minutes from Picton and the Interisland Ferry. Take a leisurely stroll along the picturesque marina to the lively Jolly Roger café bar, or wander to the nearby bay to swim out to a pontoon, fire up the BBQ under the date palms and watch yachts glide into the stunning Sounds.
Accommodation covers every budget and travel style: spacious sites for caravans, campervans and tents with powered and unpowered options, through basic, quirky, standard and kitchen cabins to en-suite cabins and fully self-contained units.
Guests keep coming back for the spotlessly clean facilities, the friendly personal welcome and the well-equipped communal amenities — great hot showers with no timers, an excellent laundry and a fully stocked communal kitchen. Despite its convenient location the park stays peaceful and quiet, and the family is always happy to help with local activity enquiries.
Reception is open from 2pm to 6pm, with late check-ins available by request. Inspections are always welcome, and pets may be allowed in guests' own campervans or caravans on request outside peak times.
Some holiday parks are simply somewhere to sleep. Waikawa Bay Holiday Park is the kind of place people plan their holidays around. Set on the quiet shores of Waikawa Bay, just five minutes from Picton and the Interisland Ferry, this privately owned, family-run park has been welcoming guests for more than 21 years. A leisurely stroll along the picturesque marina takes you to the lively Jolly Roger café bar, while a short walk the other way brings you to the bay itself — where you can swim out to a pontoon or fire up the BBQ under the date palms and watch yachts glide into the stunning Sounds.
That mix — genuine waterfront calm with Picton and the ferry terminal moments away — is a big part of the park's appeal. Whether you're breaking the journey between islands or settling in for a proper Marlborough getaway, everything you need is close at hand without ever feeling busy.
The accommodation spans the full range of holiday styles. At the comfortable end, fully self-contained units give you an independent base with everything under one roof, while en-suite cabins add the convenience of a private bathroom. Budget travellers are well looked after too, with quirky, standard and kitchen cabins that are easy on the wallet and full of character — from simple basic cabins through to deluxe basic options.
Travelling with your own roof over your head? Powered and non-powered sites welcome caravans, campervans and tents alike. It's an approach the owners sum up as accommodation for every budget, and guests routinely name fair prices and value for money among the reasons they return.
Ask regulars why they return and the answers cluster around the same themes. The park is spotlessly clean and well kept, from the cabins to the communal facilities. The welcome is warm and personal, with the family happy to help with local activity enquiries. The facilities do exactly what you hope for: great hot showers with no timers, an excellent laundry and a fully stocked communal kitchen. And for all its friendliness, the park stays peaceful and quiet — a restful base just five minutes from the ferry. Quirky touches and charm run throughout, the sort of details that make people say they'll always remember the place they stayed.
It's a working family business, and it shows. Inspections are always welcome if you'd like to look around before booking, and the team takes a genuine interest in making each stay memorable for all the right reasons.
Waikawa Bay does a lot of the entertaining. Swim out to the pontoon on a warm afternoon, cook under the date palms as yachts slip into the Sounds, and wander along the marina to the Jolly Roger café bar when you feel like a treat. Picton is five minutes away for everything else, and the park makes a handy base for the region's eco-friendly adventures along the breathtaking Marlborough Sounds. Ferry travellers will find it close enough to make arrival day easy, while road-trippers can park the caravan or campervan and simply relax.
Reception is open from 2pm to 6pm. Late check-ins are no problem — request one on your booking sheet and instructions will be sent to you. Early check-ins aren't always possible, so it's worth asking ahead but not counting on it. Booking online is the easiest way to lock in your spot and save. Pets can join the trip within the park's rules: they may be allowed on request in guests' own campervans or caravans outside peak times, but are strictly not permitted in tents or in or around any units. For travellers planning an extended visit, long-term stay options are also available.