An iconic Wairarapa town that has been the butt of jokes for years is now having the last laugh. Eketahuna has been slowly on the up-and-up but a planned new development right in the heart of town is expected to really kick start progress. Carterton businessman Trevor Berthold, in partnership with CraigAndrews and Mark Wrigley, has bought the old A.H.Herbert building in Main Street and plans to develop 20 upmarket, heritage- style motels there. The three men have formed a new company, Eketahuna Motels Ltd, and propose to get cracking on building the motel complex within two years, or sooner if local investors pitch in. Mr Berthold said his construction company, 1880 Construction Ltd, would build the motels, consisting of chalets with access from both the Main Street frontage and from the back of the property. The investment is a huge vote of confidence in Eketahuna, a town with an international reputation as a comic location, presumably because of its unusual sounding Maori name. Mr Berthold also revealed the 1880 Construction Company has gone a step further in Eketahuna, buying up vacant sections with a view to building heritage style "spec homes" on them for sale. "We see Eketahuna as a town that can only go forward. "It is half-way between Napier and Wellington on the state highway and we expect the motels to attract business clients, truckers and others who regularly use the highway. "Eketahuna also has huge potential as a tourist destination, it's a great place." Mr Berthold said his company were builders, not moteliers and would be interested in getting the motels built and established but not in the day-to-day running of them. "For that reason if someone was to come along as an investor and had a bit of passion for the project we could bring the building programme forward." The arrival of the motels is expected to hugely boost business in the town, affectionately known as either Eketawhere or Eketabung, and to give even more impetus to an already burgeoning property boom.
