Riverton/Monkey Island, Orepuki

We absolutely loved our time at Garston Hops, but we were ready to explore more of Southland. We spent two nights in Riverton, parked on the huge back lawn of our new friends Gary and Sharon (we met them at Garston Hops—fun fact, Gary was the Mayor of Southland from 2013–2022). Their property overlooked the estuary, with stunning views and beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
On our first night, Gary cooked us a delicious pork roast—such a treat not having to cook for a change!
We then headed about 20 minutes up the coast to Monkey Island. The freedom campsite was perfect, with sea views and decent long-drop toilets. The dogs loved the beach, and we enjoyed how much the scenery changed with the weather. We stayed there for two nights before moving just a couple of minutes up the road to Orepuki and the famous Gemstone Beach.
After collecting around 3.5 kg of gorgeous stones, we parked up at the local tavern. Between rain showers, we took the dogs for a walk, then settled in for a lazy afternoon in the motorhome. We finished the day with a lovely dinner (whitebait sandwich for Neil and pizza for me)—and even scored our first drinks for free!Read more