Payment with a DOC Campsite Pass is preferred. Otherwise, pay your fees with cash at the self-registration stand at the campsite or to the camp warden if present. Put the correct fee in the envelope provided and place the receipt section of the envelope on your vehicle or tent.

• Adult (18+ years): $10 per night
• Child (5–17 years): $5 per night
• Infant (0–4 years): free

Passes

The DOC Campsite Pass can be used at this campsite. 

By car

Turn off SH 61 at Tapawera. Follow Rd to Bushend Rd then Wangapeka River Rd to end.

Gravel road not suitable for caravans and campervans. The Dart River ford crossing can be impassable after heavy rain.

By foot

Courthouse Flat Campsite used to have walking access via swing bridge, however the bridge washed away in June 2014, and is yet to be replaced.

Caution required on Dart River Ford on the Wangapeka River

Dart Ford
Image: Ivan Rogers | DOC

If you’re planning to cross the Dart Ford by vehicle, identify suitable conditions first. 

Due to ongoing gravel migration filling the ford, the river is flowing over the ford even at low water levels. The ford may be impassable after heavy rain. 

Check river flow for Wangapeka at Walter Peak on the Tasman District Council website before you set off.

As a guide, if the flow indicated on the graph exceeds 40 cumecs then it is not advisable to cross.  However, the river may still be unsafe to cross because: 

• the flow shown on the website can be inaccurate, or
• the Dart River may be flowing higher than the Wangapeka indicates, or
• the culverts under the ford may be choked with gravel.  

So you must re-assess the flow conditions once you arrive in terms of your vehicle and driving skill level. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast for your return trip too.

Take repellant for ferocious sandflies.