Who owns the Holden? How to meet people at Repco Beach Hop

Mark and Carol Jones with their car outside Marjo's in Whangamata. Photo / Alison Smith

It's a familiar story in Whangamata. The surf brought Mark Jones here - the Beach Hop brought him back.

"I'm the dogsbody, the go-getter," Mark says of his voluntary role at Repco Beach Hop 20.

Connected by the memory of surfing Whanga as a teenager, Mark bought a bach in the early 2000s and continued to live in Auckland where he worked as a long haul truck driver.

One day his blue Holden was parked in Port Rd when Beach Hop organiser Noddy Watts walked past.

"He said 'who owns the Holden?', I said 'I do'."

It was 2011 when the friendship began and Mark joined the team of volunteers.
Mark's partner Carol helps too, judging the quiz night.

They meet each morning for coffee at a different local cafe to plan what needs doing and shoot the breeze.

"The Beach Hop made me live here permanently, I sold the house in Auckland and the bach down here and moved to a place permanently here.

"You still have your friends in Auckland but it's easy to make friendships here. It may be because we've all got something in common, but it's just an easy life in Whanga. It could take an hour to travel to see friends in Auckland, here it's three minutes by pushbike.

It's just an easy life in Whanga. It could take an hour to travel to see friends in Auckland, here it's three minutes by pushbike.

Mark Jones

"They all come in and buy pizza and support me too."

Thames-Coromandel District Council's economic development team estimated several years ago in a study on the economic benefit of hosting the Beach Hop that around 50 people had purchases houses because of the Hop.

In 2013 Mark joined Noddy's Kiwis On Tour trip to Route 66 and to prove he's not exaggerating when he says it blew him away, Mark has the tattoo on his leg to prove it.

"The places Noddy takes you that you would never even thought had existed - the little back streets, old pubs in the middle of nowhere. I loved it. Noddy's dedicated and absolutely brilliant as a host."

Mark is a Happy Days television show freak, and when he bought his food business on Port Rd, the only thing he kept was the black and white lino - restyling the interior as a 50s diner.

It'll be his first Beach Hop of working at Marjo's Pizza because he's always volunteered at the event.

"The girls will be dressed up at the counter, we're having hot bain maries outside so people don't have to wait. There's a lot to plan - there'll be thousands of people here on Saturday, and they'll be waiting until the traffic moves and doing their burnouts.

"I love it."

- Buy a $5 programme to find out what's on at Repco Beach Hop.