Camp Elsdon is a charitable incorporated society administering what was known as Elsdon Methodist Youth Camp which began in 1954. We are a simple and convenient low cost camp with a keen “youth” camp tag and offer an "Indoor Tenting" experience for our indoor accommodation.
The camp is open all year long and provides group, team, youth and casual accommodation and is used by schools, church, sports, dance and community groups, and by individual families and overseas tourists.
Camp Elsdon occupies 5.5 hectares of DOC land located on the foothills of western Porirua and is surrounded by the native bush of the Porirua and Colonial Knob Scenic Reserves. It is also a good base and allows for easy access to city, urban, rural, industrial, bush and coastal environments and is close to essential services.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS: Camp Elsdon is a 5 minute drive or easy 15 to 25 minute walk to the local Porirua City centre and other local attractions such as Te Rauparaha Arena and Aquatic centre (with hydro slide/wave machine), Pataka Museum, Go Karts, mini golf at Pirates Cove, and 5 minutes drive from North City Ten Pin (bowling) and 10 minutes drive away from the NZ Police Museum and multi level confidence course at Adrenalin Forest.
Porirua City centre offers a full range of supermarkets and shopping malls at North City Plaza and The Mega Centre. Local restaurants offer a range of cuisine as well as all main stream fast food outlets. Movies are available at Reading Cinema in North City Plaza or 20 minutes drive away at the lovely Lighthouse Cinema beside Pauatahanui Inlet.
On Saturday mornings the Porirua Market opens at 5am – 10am in the city centre car park and offers tantalizing, freshly cooked Pacific, Asian and Māori foods as well as fresh fish, vegetables, flowers and other goodies.
DISTANCE TO WELLINGTON: Wellington is easily accessible from Porirua City, which is 20 kilometres north of Wellington City on State Highway 1 which is the direct motorway link to Interislander and Blue Bridge ferry terminals for ferries travelling across Cook Strait to Picton in New Zealand’s South Island. The drive to Wellington usually takes 20 minutes on the weekends and varies during the week. Porirua City also has a direct railway link into Wellington City.
FIND/CONTACT US: Camp Elsdon is located on the western side of Porirua, tucked up into the edge of the Colonial Knob Reserve (behind the Elsdon Industrial area).
Access is via Prosser Street from Titahi Bay Road (see ‘Booking Inquiry’ page for map*).
Coming from the North via SH1 take the Porirua/Tawa off ramp (signs for Kenepuru Hospital), turn left at the roundabout / interchange at the bottom of the offramp (sign for Tawa & Hospital), turn right at the Raiha Street roundabout and head up Raiha Street over the crest of the hill. The camp is below the crest of the hill on the left (entrance to the camp is beside the entrance to Rangituhi / Colonial Knob).
From the South take the Porirua, Titahi Bay off ramp (onto the main roundabout / interchange) turn left on Titahi Bay Road and follow the blue camp ground signs.
Click on the link below to view a man of central Porirua mountain bike trail that runs past Camp Elsdon.
