Greytown camp mother Noeline Ball may call it quits this year after spending two decades welcoming campground visitors to the town.
Mrs Ball, 74, was seven years ago appointed licensee at the Greytown Camp Ground, which is nestled among the more than century-old stand of native trees and bush at the Greytown Soldiers Memorial Park in Kuratawhiti St.
The old girl of St Brides Convent School, in Masterton, has for more than 50 years lived in Greytown where she and her late husband, Don, raised four children.
Mrs Ball has variously worked as manager and custodian at the grounds for the past 20 years before becoming the licence-holder.
She is considering retirement this year to spend more time with her 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
"I've given it a tremendous amount of thought and I'd miss it like hell but it's a big job that's getting bigger all the time and I've still got the [Greytown] Little Theatre and lots of grandchildren to play with," Mrs Ball said.
More than 1600 campers flowed through the grounds last January and this year the visitor tally will easily top 1000 despite several days of rain during the holidays so far that kept some visitors away and sent others home earlier than they had planned.
She said most campers come from Wellington, Hutt Valley and Kapiti - although others travel much farther. Some had been annually pitching tents for more than 20 years at the Wairarapa grounds, which offers almost 40 powered sites on top of numerous un-powered spaces.
Camper Shirley Wadsworth said she and her relative had travelled from Auckland to pitch their tent at the Greytown grounds while Wellington mother Kathy Gamble said she, her friends and family are annual visitors who have been camping in the town for the past 22 years.
Mrs Ball said the camp, which has a cleaning and maintenance crew of half a dozen people, is a hub of holiday business for several traders including a milk vendor, mobile cafe operator and icecream seller.
However, she said she is amazed the rest of the town annually fails to capitalise on the influx of visitors, who have at least once in past weeks stripped a Greytown supermarket of its bread.
"And the grounds really need to be revamped to keep up as well. There's no parking facilities, for example, and picnickers often deprive potential campers of space. But the council are not quick to act and they really need to take an in-depth look at the operation to make the most of what they have," she said.
Another half-dozen families were set to arrive at the grounds yesterday and the increase in business will continue through the rest of the month.
"It really is a special place and even if I do retire, I'm sure I'll keep giving them a hand all the same," she said. "I love it here, so why not."