Ruakaka camp is among the best

If you want to set yourself apart from the other holiday camps you have to focus on the family, Ruakaka Reserve Motor Camp manager Mike Abel reckons. And he should know, with the popular seaside holiday camp one of six finalists in the Automobile Association and the Holiday Accommodation Parks Association of New Zealand's (HAPNZ) AA Spirit of Hospitality Award for Excellence in Holiday Parks.
Mike and wife Ann Marie Abel, who run the Ruakaka camp, say they have a fairly simple formula for success.
"We are family-based and concentrate on catering for every family that comes to stay," Mr Abel said.
"We try to make it a really good family experience and have great things for all the children to do, regardless of their ages. We get outside groups in to run activities for kids and we even get a helicopter in to give them cheap rides.
"If you give people a good experience they will keep coming back."
The Abels have been running the camp for three summers now and he said some of the families that stay have been going since the 1940s or 1950s.
"We have got five or six generations of some families that keep coming back so we must be doing something right."
Four of the six Holiday Parks are located in the South Island - Smiths Farm Holiday Park, Picton; Lorneville Holiday Park, Invercargill; All Seasons Holiday Park, Christchurch and Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park Creeksyde. The only other North Island finalist is Beachaven Motel and Holiday Park at Waihi.
HAPNZ chief executive Fergus Brown is delighted to see such a mix of finalists, both big and small parks, competing for the top award.
"The AA Spirit of Hospitality Award is our top award, reflecting the importance we place on customer service. Each of our finalists provides a great example of how to add value to a business through excellent hospitality.
The winner will be announced at the Holiday Parks Conference in Wellington on July 8.