Martinborough's public camping ground has come in for another broadside, this time from a family that left it in disgust on the weekend and has vowed never to return to Martinborough as a result.
The visiting family contacted the Wairarapa Times-Age after an incident at the camping ground soon after they
had set up their tent on Saturday.
The father of a 13 year-old-girl said his daughter had returned from the toilet block "shaking and upset" after a man who had been lying out on the grass allegedly made sexual remarks to her.
Unimpressed by the state of the camping ground anyway, the family considered the incident to be the last straw, took down their tent and moved out.
"We went to a camping ground in Pirinoa where it was lovely, more like a holiday park."
They had intended to stay in Martinborough for two nights, but because of the upset caused to the girl and the general state of the facilities have made a decision not to return.
"Not just to the camping ground, but to Martinborough."
The man said about 80 people appeared to be in the camp at the time.
He said one man who seemed to have some authority there had tried to smooth things over and had done a good job but the harm had already been done by then.
The man said during their brief time at the camping ground everyone seemed to be talking about the dilapidated state of it.
"There was not even a phone there so if we had decided to make a formal complaint to someone there was no way to do it."
Martinborough ward councillor on the South Wairarapa District Council, Mike Beckett, although unaware of the incident involving the family's daughter, said he acknowledged that the camping ground was far from ideal.
Mr Beckett is on the camping ground committee and has been working towards seeing improvements there for months.
He said proper cost estimates were now being done for the next annual plan.
"We are trying to get it fixed up ? next year will be better."
