A popular and long-standing seaside campground in the Coromandel township of Whitianga has been placed on the market for
sale.
The land, buildings and business supporting the Harbourside Holiday Park overlooking Whitianga harbour are spread over
14,373 square metres of land. The property contains a multitude of accommodation options - ranging from powered tent and
caravan sites through to tourist flats, along with all the social infrastructure found at stereotypical New Zealand camp
grounds.
The predominantly rectangular site with its exclusive driveway access across the road from a sandy beach has been
operating as a campground for almost 50 years – establishing a ‘core’ group of holidaymakers who regularly camp at the
Harbourside Holiday Park over the Christmas/New Year period.
Current business and property operators Chris and Angela Evans have owned the site since 1984 - running the park
themselves for many years. Harbourside Holiday Park is currently operated under a management contract.
The seaside campground is being marketed as ’turn-key’ operation - coming complete with all operating infrastructure,
including:
• 98 individual grassed sites for tent campers, caravans and camper vans – with 61 of the sites powered, and 37
unpowered
• 7 cabins and 4 self-contained tourist flats
• Separate laundry with laundry tubs, coin-operated Maytag washing machines and dryers
• Indoor communal dining area and reading room
• Additional outdoor communal dining area
• Recently refurbished shower blocks
• Leisure amenities including an in-ground swimming pool, TV room, and children’s playground with trampoline
• A three-bedroomed owner/manager’s house with the campground office attached
• Parking for boats on trailers, boat washing and fish cleaning facilities, and
• A communal kitchen facility – containing fridges, freezers, electric hobs and microwave ovens on stainless steel
benching.
The Harbourside Holiday Park freehold land, buildings and business at 135 Albert Street are being marketed for sale by
auction at 11am on May 17 through Bayleys Hamilton.
Salesperson Josh Smith said trading accounts for Harbourside Holiday Park showed the campground’s busiest occupancy
period was from the week before Christmas, through until the beginning of February when the school year began. Solid
booking levels were then tracked throughout the remainder of summer through until Easter weekend.
Mr Smith said the layout and infrastructure of Harbourside Holiday Park meant the venue could be staffed throughout the
bulk of the year by a ‘husband and wife’ management structure – either as owner/operators or under a leased management
contract.
Additional part-time cleaners are brought into the business over the busier summer months between December and February.
Mr Smith said there was the opportunity for Harbourside Holiday Park to grow its revenue stream by increasing the
inventory of fixed accommodation options to derive a higher dollar value per guest night.
“With ample open flat grassed space, Harbourside Holiday Park could easily be expanded – either adding more budget
cabins or self-contained apartments with greater levels of guest comforts,” Mr Smith said.
“Moving up the add-value ladder, the flat topography of the park would perfectly suit the trend of accommodating
refurbished 40 – 60 foot steel shipping containers transformed into chic baches which can be easily transported on and
off most sites in a similar way to caravans…..except that they are transported on the back of trucks.”
Mr Smith said there were some 482 square square metres of buildings within the Harbourside Holiday Park site, which is
zoned residential 9A.
He added that the camp’s location directly across the road from Whitianga Harbour meant the land was generally
free-draining – allowing for rain-affected grass areas to dry quickly following any heavy rainfall periods. This allowed
higher occupancy levels for guests sleeping under canvas.