Yesterday, their proximity to the sea saw them evacuated by camp management due to the tsunami alert.
Later in the morning, campers were given 15 minutes to return and collect their gear.
Waking about 8am to the news there was a tsunami alert was a "bit frightening", said Val Brown, of Temuka.
They quickly left the camp and parked on the side of the road, near State Highway 1, where she made toast and hot drinks for those who were evacuated.
People were very grateful, she said.
Ian Orr, from Oxford, was "fast asleep" when there was a knock on the door to tell him and his wife of the alert.
He was running around in his pyjamas while his wife was partly dressed when he moved their campervan up the road, he laughed.
People were calm and there was quite a lot of humour.
Most families seemed remarkably resourceful, he said.
Hilda Liddall, co-owner of the camp, said there were nearly 60 people in the camp, which is at sea level beside the beach, and people started leaving from 7am.
Most went up the hill to wait it out.
