DOC campsites do campers proud

Department of Conservation campsites are usually in beautiful places beside lakes or rivers or with great mountain views.

John Fridd explains how you too can enjoy this - and it's cheap or even free.

This summer, I spent four days camping at St Bathans.

I had a great time soaking up the history, exploring the district on my mountain bike and visiting the new Oteake Conservation Park.

Every day was sweltering and I enjoyed my daily plunge into the cool waters of the Blue Lake before tucking into an even cooler ale at the famous Vulcan Hotel.

At night, when the stars came out, I sat outside my tent transfixed by the majesty of the night sky as only it can be viewed in the country, away from light pollution.

The bill for my four-night stay at the Department of Conservation (Doc) St Bathans domain conservation campsite? Zero.

The site is classed as basic by Doc, which means there is no fee.

The swishest Doc campsites are designated "serviced", which means you can expect a hot shower, flush toilets and kitchen, among other facilities.

Fees range from $8-14 per night for an adult.

In between the top and bottom grades, there are two more designations - standard and back country, with fees ranging from $3 to $12.

The basic designation hints at what facilities one can expect at camps such as the St Bathans Domain - in this case a modern long-drop toilet, cold-water tap and rubbish bins.

Compensating for this is the fact Doc campsites are usually in beautiful places beside lakes or rivers and/or with great mountain views.

There's nothing nicer than sitting by a lake or under a mountain range sipping fresh-brewed coffee, munching on fruitcake and taking in the scenery, knowing this is home for several days.

The St Bathans facility is one of 16 conservation campsites maintained in Otago by Doc, according to the free South Island Conservation Campsites guide, available from Doc offices.

The guide told me there were 118 in the South Island (the North Island has its own guide).

Down our way, Southland has 14 campsites, with all but two in Fiordland National Park. Otago's include four on the coast - two between Palmerston and Oamaru and another couple near Owaka - while the others are the two near St Bathans and 10 in the Queenstown Lakes district.

While at St Bathans, I drove about 17km up the Upper Manuherikia Valley to inspect Otago's newest conservation campsite, Homestead.