River users next to Glenfalls Campsite last year. It has been closed to campers. Photo / Supplied
It was also popular for families enjoying a cheap holiday or overnight camp.
“DoC decided not to repair Glenfalls Campsite in Hawke’s Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle, due to the high cost of repair and the probability of another weather event destroying it again,” DoC senior heritage and visitors ranger Malcolm Lock said.
“Other campsites in the area are available, providing similar experiences.
“While there may be a possibility of reopening Glenfalls in a limited capacity in the future, nothing is yet confirmed.”
DoC’s Everetts Campsite is located further up the river, although vehicle access is currently closed and access is by foot or bike, according to the DoC website.
Other accommodation nearby includes the Mohaka River Farm and Nirvana Farmstay, which offer paid accommodation options from cabins to tenting.
The current state of the closed Glenfalls Campsite. Photo / Supplied
Nirvana Farmstay co-owner Craig Smith said he was supportive of DoC reopening Glenfalls Campsite.
He said he felt for the large number of families “that used to come here every Christmas and have a cheap holiday” because that was all they could afford.
“They can’t do that now.”
He said, in his view, the relatively new toilets could have been repaired rather than removed, and plenty of people would be happy to chip in with a working bee.
He said despite it being closed, people were still using it illegally and, at times, treating it poorly as there were no toilets.
Rafter Martin Robertson is based in Wellington and, prior to Gabrielle, would travel north to Glenfalls Campsite about three or four times a year for adventure on the Mohaka River.
“It is such an asset – we would love it if there was something like it in Wellington next to a beautiful river.”
Robertson said he wanted to see Glenfalls Campsite reopened.
“There was no other facilities there apart from the two toilets, so you wouldn’t think it is a huge cost [to repair].”
He said it was a “real magnet” for people using the river, and the Mohaka River was arguably “the best river trip in the North Island”.
Toro Waaka, chairman of Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust – the main owner of Mohaka Rafting – said the reality was DoC had very limited funding.
“DoC has a lot of conservation responsibilities, and my preference is they are spending money on that stuff.”
He said that included spending money on conservation work along the Mohaka River, as opposed to reopening the campsite.
Glenfalls Campsite had an honesty box when it was open, and people could donate towards its upkeep.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
