Smiths Farm Holiday Park

Smiths Farm Holiday Park is a boutique campground on a working beef farm in the Linkwater valley, nestled between Queen Charlotte Sound and the wider Marlborough Sounds. Run by Chris and Barbara since 1997, this is the kind of place where you are greeted with freshly baked muffins and a bag of food to feed the friendly farm animals, including sheep, pigs, goats, and chickens. The park is deliberately kept small and quiet with limited numbers, meaning the immaculate facilities never feel crowded. Just 30 minutes from the Interislander and Bluebridge ferry terminals in Picton, it makes an ideal first or last stop for travellers crossing Cook Strait.

Flat powered and non-powered sites are spread across well-maintained grounds, suitable for tents, campervans, and caravans. Four standard cabins, two self-contained units, two motels, and a self-contained cottage are also available. Facilities include hot showers, flush toilets (with additional blocks added in 2020/21), a communal kitchen with fireplace, laundry, dump station, and BBQ area. WiFi is available with some free allocation for guests staying more than one night. Pets are welcome by prior arrangement with non-aggressive breed dogs kept on a lead. The park offers bicycle hire and a free pick-up and drop-off service to the Anakiwa end of the Queen Charlotte Track, just 4km away.

The on-site glow worm walk through native bush to a waterfall is a genuine highlight, best experienced after dark when thousands of tiny lights illuminate the dell. Farm walks exploring the property’s natural and farming heritage are another drawcard. The wider area offers outstanding activities including sea kayaking, mountain biking, walking the Queen Charlotte Track, dolphin watching cruises, and mussel cruises through the Sounds. Havelock, the greenshell mussel capital of the world, is 15 minutes’ drive away, and the Marlborough wine region is within easy reach for cellar door visits.