Camps fill up for long weekend

Mount Maunganui Holiday Park is one of the accommodation providers which is having to turn people away this long weekend. Photo / John Borren

Bay accommodation providers are having to turn people away as they gear up for one of the busiest anniversary weekends on the summer calendar.

Thousands of holidaymakers flocking to the Bay this weekend will be spoiled for choice with a jam-packed line-up of great events being held in the Western Bay including the ENZED 2016 UIM Jetsprint World Championship final, the Colour Splash and On the Lawn.

Thousands of holidaymakers have been filling up holiday parks and motels fast.

A Mount Maunganui Holiday Park spokesperson said the park was fully booked this weekend and they were having to turn people away.

Waihi Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort operations manager Angela Brockliss said: "We're pretty much full but still have a few gaps in our cabins if people just want to stay one or two nights.

"The phone has been ringing non-stop, but unfortunately anyone who wanted to stay three nights and didn't book has had to be turned away. We expect to be fully booked shortly. But where we have any gaps we tend to fill them pretty quickly with camper van tourists, who just turn up and don't realise they need to book ahead."

Papamoa Beach Resort manager Joy Archer said the resort still had some camp sites down the back free, but the rest of accommodation on the beach side had already been snapped up.

Ms Archer said phone inquiries were flooding in.

"As long as the fine weather continues we expect to be at full occupancy very soon," she said.

Full occupancy was 1100 people.

Ms Archer said the resort was already fully booked for Waitangi weekend.

Kaimai View Motel owner, and Tauranga Motel Association president, Bruce Rutherford said: "While there are still a few rooms available, they're filling up fast."

With the continued fine weather and lots of events on this weekend, most of the motels in the Western Bay are well on their way to being fully booked, he said.

Mr Rutherford said: "The moral of the story is to book early or you miss out."

Sapphire Springs Holiday Park Katikati co-owner Gareth Anderton said all the motel units were fully booked but there were still quite a few powered and non-powered tent sites free although he expected them to fill up if the fine weather continued.

"We've been pretty busy this summer and we expect that to be the case this weekend and also the next."

Mr Anderton said full occupancy was between 200 to 250 people.

Omanu Cosy Corner Family Holiday Park owner Greg Davidson said: "Accommodation-wise we're fully booked, but we still have a handful of camp sites free, with a three-night minimum. I'm sure it won't take us long to fill up. Anyone just turning up on Friday will probably be out of luck."

Mr Davidson said the booking situation was much the same for Waitangi weekend, with only half a dozen camp sites still free.