Camp spots fill up

A secluded Marlborough campground has been packed with campers seeking a cosy ‘‘off-grid’’ spot to unwind.

Christchurch resident Lou Crous and Canadian girlfriend Sarah Sapsford spent their first Christmas together camping in Robin Hood Bay, trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

‘‘We wanted to go somewhere off grid without cellphone reception and many people around.

‘‘That is why we chose to camp here,’’ Crous said.

‘‘This is our first Christmas camping, normally I spend time with family in Canada,’’ Sapsford added. Although the sea was too cold for them to swim in, the weather was ‘‘too hot’’ to feel like Christmas. ‘‘It is hard to get used to the fact it is Christmas.’’

The couple arrived at the secluded campsite on Christmas Day after finding nearby Whites Bay was ‘‘too busy’’.

‘‘This bay is free of charge, and without cellphone reception so we came here’’, Crous said.

‘‘We will leave the day after Boxing Day to go to Nelson to meet my parents who are arriving from Auckland. We have planned a 10-day trip to drive around the South Island with our family,’’ he said.

Another Christchurch resident, Paul Maivan, and British girlfriend Jennifer Weaver had been camping in Robin Hood Bay since Wednesday and were planning to leave today. ‘‘This is our first time camping here and we have been here for 24 hours and will stay here another 40 hours,’’ Maivan said.

‘‘It is good to get off-grid with no electricity, or many people,’’ Weaver said.