Camping on Rotorua's Blue Lake: lakeside sauna, hot tub and bush sites

Blue Lake Holiday Park camping sits on the shore of Lake Tikitapu, known to most visitors as the Blue Lake, southeast of Rotorua in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. The park trades as Blue Lake TOP 10 Holiday Park, and this guide treats it for what it is: a commercial, family-owned holiday park with powered and non-powered campsites, cabins and motels, not a Department of Conservation (DOC) campground or a freedom camping spot. Park details come from the operator’s website; lake, city and climate details come from public reference sources.

What is Blue Lake Holiday Park and where is it?

The park’s address is 723 Tarawera Road, and the operator describes it as Rotorua’s only TOP 10 holiday park on the Blue Lake. It says the park is about a 10-minute drive from the centre of Rotorua. Native bush surrounds it, and the operator notes that many sites are hedged and back onto that bush. A tourism listing for the park adds that it is free of the sulphur smell Rotorua is known for, while still being close enough to town for restaurants, shops and attractions.

Lake Tikitapu is the smallest of four small lakes between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera. It sits at about 417 metres above sea level, in a basin ringed by forested hills, and its aqua colour is attributed to pumice and rhyolite on the lake bed. The name refers to a sacred greenstone necklace said to have been lost here by a chief’s daughter.

Can you camp at Blue Lake Holiday Park?

Yes. The park lists campsites among its accommodation, and describes both powered and non-powered sites for up to six people per site. A tourism listing also mentions tent, motorhome and campervan sites. Because the park is a business, you camp here as a paying guest on a booked site, and you follow posted house rules.

If you would rather not pitch at all, the park also lists these under its own roof:

• Top Tents, which come with a deck, beds, linen, towels and simple kitchen facilities.
• Standard cabins and cabins with kitchenettes, sleeping between two and seven depending on type.
• Chateau Relaxo, a lake-view cabin for two.
• Self-contained units with kitchen, bathroom and their own deck, for up to five or eight people.
• Motel units, including lake-view units, sleeping up to six or eight.

Do you need to book Blue Lake Holiday Park?

The park lists a phone number (0800 808 292, or +64 7 362 8120 from overseas) and an email address, and its website carries booking pages. It publishes no walk-up policy, and this guide makes no claim about availability on any date, so ask the park directly before you travel.

The park’s published conditions give a few booking rules worth knowing. Check-in is from 2:00 pm, and check-out is by 10:00 am unless stated otherwise. Early arrival or late departure may be considered if available. Guests under 18 cannot stay on site without parental supervision. Parking is generally for one vehicle per booking, and extra vehicles or boats may be accommodated elsewhere on request.

How much does it cost to camp at Blue Lake Holiday Park?

Rates depend on site type, number of people and the time of year, and they change. This guide gives no figures. Check the park’s booking page for the current rate, and read the cancellation and change terms shown there before you pay, because the park states that conditions apply to bookings.

What facilities does the park have?

The operator lists a long set of facilities, which makes this a good base for anyone who wants more comfort than a basic campground.

• Kitchens and dining: three communal kitchen and dining areas with boiling water, microwaves, toasters, full ovens, tables and chairs.
• Barbecues: three free-to-use barbecue areas with outdoor furniture.
• Showers and toilets: described as modern and central. Hot showers are free, though some are timed during busy periods to conserve water.
• Laundry: coin-operated washers and dryers, with change available from Reception.
• Recreation room: Sky TV, table tennis, pool table, air hockey.
• Play areas: a playground with two trampolines, plus a bouncy pillow beside the basketball court.
• Shop: attached to Reception, stocking basic kitchen essentials and snacks.
• Wi-Fi: a complimentary daily allowance of 500 MB per device, with more available to buy.
• Dump station: near the middle amenity block.
• Extras: a private hot tub booked through Reception, a lakeside sauna, and four fun bikes for hire.

The sauna runs in one-hour sessions beside the lake, with cold plunges in the water. Ask whether it runs year-round.

Does the park suit boats, bikes and water sports?

Largely yes. There is extra boat parking at the back of the park and a fish cleaning station. The park says guests can swim, kayak, paddleboard, water-ski, sail and fish for trout from the park. Reference sources describe rainbow and brook trout in the lake and public boat ramps and toilets around the shore, but check current boating and fishing requirements locally before launching.

For cyclists there are bike pump tracks on site with rollers and small jumps, and secure bike storage with locks available from Reception. The storage is locked overnight from 8 pm and reopens at 8 am, which matters if you plan a dawn start.

Is Blue Lake Holiday Park dog friendly?

Not by default. The park’s conditions say pets are allowed at some properties only and tell guests to contact the park to confirm its policy. Evidence of pets where they are not permitted attracts a cleaning fee. Do not drive in with a dog on the assumption it will be fine; get the answer in writing for your booking.

What are the rules at the park?

The park publishes a booking policy rather than a long list of camp rules, so some questions have no stated answer.

• Smoking: all accommodation is smoke and vape free.
• Parties: functions and parties are strictly not allowed, and a stay can be ended if guests disturb neighbours.
• Numbers: the people on site must match the booking.
• Caravans and motorhomes: if you plug into the park’s electricity you need a current Warrant of Electrical Fitness and an approved external RCD cord.
• Quiet hours, fires, generators and rubbish: the policy page states nothing on these. Ask at Reception before you arrive.
• Children: parents must supervise them.

How do you get to Blue Lake Holiday Park?

From central Rotorua, follow Tarawera Road southeast to number 723, about 10 minutes by car according to the park. The lake lies over a saddle from the city, among forest-covered hills. The park gives no detail on road surface or winter conditions, so check a current map and local road reports before you set out.

Cyclists can use the 2.5-kilometre Tangaroamihi biking trail, rated grade 2, which connects the lake to the Whakarewarewa Forest mountain bike network.

What is there to do around Blue Lake?

• Walk the lake: a 5.5-kilometre track circles Lake Tikitapu. It is graded easy and takes an average walker about an hour and a half. The park says the track passes beaches, native bush and the Whakarewarewa redwoods.
• Ride: Whakarewarewa Forest is known internationally for mountain biking and walking.
• Paddle and swim: the lake is used for swimming, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, and hosts events such as rowing regattas and waka ama.
• See the geothermal sights: Rotorua sits inside a caldera formed by an eruption about 240,000 years ago. Sites listed for the district include Te Puia at Whakarewarewa, Tikitere (Hell’s Gate), Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Kuirau Park and Waikite Valley Thermal Pools.
• Book tours: the park says it can arrange trips, tours and excursions across the wider Rotorua region.

When is the best time to camp at Blue Lake?

The park says it offers a relaxed atmosphere at any time of year. Rotorua has a mild temperate climate, and the 1991 to 2020 figures below come from the Wikipedia climate table for the city. Seasons are Southern Hemisphere ones, and the lake sits at a similar altitude to the city, so allow for it being a little cooler overnight.

Season	Months	Mean daily maximum	Mean daily minimum
Summer	Dec to Feb	20.8 to 23.1 C	11.5 to 13.1 C
Autumn	Mar to May	15.2 to 21.1 C	6.6 to 11.1 C
Winter	Jun to Aug	12.0 to 12.8 C	3.7 to 4.4 C
Spring	Sep to Nov	14.5 to 18.6 C	5.8 to 9.0 C

Summer suits swimming and paddling. Winter nights are cold, since Rotorua averages 57 ground frosts a year, with about 20 nights below zero, so tent campers should bring a proper sleeping bag. Snow is rare.

Where do you buy supplies?

The park shop stocks basic kitchen essentials and snacks only, so do a proper grocery run in Rotorua before you arrive. The urban area has roughly 58,500 people; individual store names and opening hours are not verified here, so check them first.

Who is Blue Lake Holiday Park for, and who should go elsewhere?

It suits families, groups and travellers in a tent, campervan, motorhome or caravan who want kitchens, laundry, a playground and a lake on the doorstep, and who are happy to book ahead and pay for a serviced site. It also works for riders heading to Whakarewarewa Forest.

It is a poor fit if you want a free, remote or spontaneous camp. Rotorua Lakes Council says that from 7 June 2026 vehicles used for freedom camping must be certified self-contained to camp at freedom camping sites, and that tent camping is allowed only at the Ōkaro and Guy Roe reserves, which are paid sites. The council’s page says freedom camping is not permitted on any other parks or neighbourhood recreation reserves. Council rules change, so check its freedom camping page before you travel.

A one-night plan

Arrive after 2:00 pm and check in at Reception, where you can also collect a lock for bike storage or book the hot tub. Pitch, then walk part of the lake track while the light is good. Cook in a communal kitchen or at one of the free barbecues, then book a sauna session and finish with the cold plunge. Check out by 10:00 am.

A weekend plan

Day one: walk the full lake circuit in the morning, then spend the afternoon on the water or the pump tracks. Day two: ride or walk into Whakarewarewa Forest via the Tangaroamihi trail, then head into Rotorua for a geothermal visit or a meal. Leave the last morning free for a 10:00 am departure.

What to bring

• A lock for bike storage (the park can supply one).
• Cold-weather bedding in winter, sun protection in summer.
• Your own cooking gear, unless you hire it from Reception.
• A current Warrant of Electrical Fitness and an RCD cord if you plug in a caravan or motorhome.
• Coins for the laundry.

Planning checklist

1. Confirm site type, dates and group size with the park.
2. Ask about pets, quiet hours, fires and rubbish.
3. Check the cancellation terms.
4. Buy groceries in Rotorua first.
5. Check lake fishing and boating rules.
6. Plan arrival after 2:00 pm and departure by 10:00 am.

Common mistakes

• Assuming it is a DOC or free campground. It is a commercial park.
• Bringing a dog without checking.
• Relying on the park Wi-Fi for heavy use, given the daily allowance.
• Underestimating winter cold.
• Bringing a second vehicle or boat without arranging it first.

More from the operator: bluelaketop10.co.nz.

Plan it in the app

Save the camp on your route in MotoRidez and the planner shows road closures along the way, and where your tank runs out once you have entered the range of your vehicle. Save the route for offline use before you lose signal: it saves the corridor around your route, not a whole region.

Details come from the operator’s own records and pages, read on 20 October 2026, and change. We do not show prices or availability. Confirm fees, bookings, closures and fire rules with the operator before you go.