The upgraded Tolaga Bay Top 10 Holiday Park, located near the iconic Tolaga Bay Wharf (pictured) was opened this week and has added to the accommodation options in the district at the perfect time.
The upgraded Tolaga Bay Top 10 Holiday Park, located near the iconic Tolaga Bay Wharf (pictured) was opened this week and has added to the accommodation options in the district at the perfect time.
The major influx of thousands of holiday-makers and R&V festival-goers to the district will start to gather momentum on Saturday and be in full swing by Sunday.
The ever-popular Rhythm and Vines music festival at Waiohika Estate from December 28 to 31 has attracted more than 18,000 people fromoutside the district – not to mention the hundreds of festival-goers coming home to stay with family.
Rhythm and Vines will pack them in again for three days of fun and musical entertainment.
Festival-goers, however, will have an eye on the weather as they make their way here.
MetService has been predicting a southeasterly change, with rain at the start of next week and during the run-in to the New Year’s Eve festivities.
Tairāwhiti beaches will be popular with visitors and hopefully the southerly shift next week does not come to much. Photo / Murray Robertson
In general visitor influx terms, December 27 tends to be the day when it starts.
Gisborne i-Site team leader Karaitiana Hull told The Gisborne Herald they had noted an increase in domestic and international visitors numbers into the district in recent months.
“We have not seen an increase like it for a couple of years.”
Hull expected that trend to continue over the peak season.
Visitors have more accommodation to choose from as Tairāwhiti now boasts a second Top 10 Holiday Park.
The new-look Tolaga Bay Top 10 Holiday Park was officially blessed and opened on Monday this week.
Gisborne Holdings Ltd – the commercial arm of Gisborne District Council – has made a $4.5 million investment in the long-established campground.
“It offers cabins, self-contained units and campsites right by the iconic wharf for a classic East Coast experience,” promotional information says. “It’s a key part of GHL’s strategy to boost regional tourism and provide quality stays, complementing the existing Waikanae Beach Top 10.”
The Tolaga Bay facility has had a complete overhaul and its bookings for the peak season look good, according to camp staff.
“We’re starting to fill up. Our cabins are pretty much booked out for to mid-January, and the camp sites are filling up,” a camp spokesperson said on Wednesday. “We’re getting more and more bookings every day.”
The team at Waikanae Top 10 Holiday Park said they had been getting solid bookings for the peak season and looked forward to a busy summer. Photo / Waikanae Top 10 Facebook
The Waikanae Beach Top 10 Holiday Park reported on Wednesday that it was starting to fill up.
“We’re looking forward to this summer,” staff there said. “We’re looking good bookings-wise.”
Moteliers in the district can expect to be well-patronised again over the peak season.
To add to the season, albeit only for a day, the cruise ship season resumes on New Year’s Day (Thursday) when the Norwegian Spirit comes calling.
Her visit last season was thwarted by weather, so if the weather behaves this time, it will be her maiden visit.
The Spirit carries at capacity just over 2000 passengers.
Police have issued a plea for the right sort of behaviour on Tairāwhiti roads over the festive season, and when travelling out of the district.
“This time of year there is increased traffic on the roads, [so] plan your journey ahead to avoid congestion,” police said.
“Expect traffic and hold ups, keep calm and be patient.
“How you behave on the road impacts everybody around you. Figure out the best route to your holiday spot by using the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Journey Planner for route information, roadworks, traffic cams and more.”
