Sporting events leave no vacancies across Hawke's Bay

Julie Smith, owner, Claremonte Motor Lodge, Hastings, No Vacancy. 02 January 2017 NEWS Hawke's Bay Today Photograph by Duncan Brown.

After a busy holiday period there is still no rest for Hawke's Bay accommodation providers as a range of sporting events come to town.

Visitors are already flocking to the region, which will be playing host to a number of sporting events in the next month, including international cricket games, the Summer Cycling Carnival, and the NZPGA Golf Pro-Am.

This begins tonight with the International Twenty20 Blackcaps vs Bangladesh game at McLean Park.

From tomorrow the annual Hawke's Bay Summer Cycling Carnival will be underway, with Napier's streets swarmed with cyclists of every level, ending this weekend with the Elite Road National Championships.

The four-day New Zealand under 19 Boys Softball Championships begin on Thursday at Akina Park, Hastings, then this weekend will be Hawke's Bay's turn to host the annual North Island Colgate Games at the Sports Park, a children's athletics competition which has been running for more than 30 years.

Claremonte Motor Lodge owner Julie Smith said visitor numbers meant they had been "absolutely run off our feet".

"It's just been crazy, there's been constant bookings."

For the nights of the Colgate games, Mrs Smith said they were "completely booked out with athletes."

"Holiday-makers are furiously trying to find accommodation, but there's nothing to be had," she said. "It's busy, busy, which is how we like it."

The sporting events meant a lack of vacancies at the Beach Front Motel in Napier since Christmas Eve, was looking to continue into next week.

Manager John Andrew said they had been "flat out", and had a big enquiry from a school group for the Colgate games.

"Certainly a lot of school groups are making their destination Napier," he said.

As they received most of their bookings online, he was unsure if guests were in Napier specifically for the cricket, or the cycling carnival.

Accommodation New Zealand Hawke's Bay sector group chairwoman Jan Nicol, who owns Elmore Lodge in Hastings, said it had been a very busy season, "and long may it continue".

Like other moteliers, they were receiving inquiries about available nights during upcoming sporting events. However, she noted there were still rooms available in Hawke's Bay, and the group would work to find accommodation for guests.

"[Hawke's Bay's] filling up and that's good, but we're not full just yet."

Although this weekend is looking to be one of the busiest, more sporting events are staggered for throughout summer.

These include the NZPGA Golf Pro-Am later this month, the Black Caps vs Australia 2nd ANZ ODI in February, the Napier Port Ocean Swim 2017, and the 4th ANZ ODI between the Black Caps and South Africa in March.