Tasman campgrounds set for bumper summer

Camping hotspots around Tasman are set to be brimming with guests this summer, with some campgrounds being booked out earlier than usual.

Quinney’s Bush Camp, south of Nelson, is one of the most popular spots for camping and this year is no exception for the 10-hectare adventure holiday park, with some exciting new additions to delight guests.

“Our bookings are definitely up this year, as we were booked out for New Year’s about two months earlier than previous years,” says operations manager Andrew Quinney.

Andrew says between Christmas and New Year is their busiest time, but they also see a significant number of bookings for Nelson Anniversary and Waitangi weekends. International bookings are also on the rise for the campground.

“We mostly get bookings from fellow Kiwis, travelling from all over the country, however this year we have seen an increase in international guests.”

Andrew says they have 70 powered sites and a large area for unpowered sites. They also have six cabins, four caravans, and eight camp-easy tents for hire.

“The length of stay does vary, we get families who just stay for a couple of nights, however, some of our regulars stay up to two weeks.”

Recently, the campground has completed two new BBQ kitchen areas.

“This will make cooking and cleaning up a lot easier for our campers. We have another cabin that was built and also renovated our other cabins.”

A newly dug-out river swimming hole with a new riverslide is set to be a big feature this year too, especially on hot days.

Andrew says that since 2020, when travelling far away wasn’t doable, their numbers increased immensely.

“Since then, we have had a lot of new campers, many who have lived in Nelson for a while, but never heard of us.

“So, it’s great to see people check out their own region as there is so much to see and do here.”

At Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve more than 60,000 people are expected to check in to the camp over the summer, staying in campsites, cabins or apartments at the beach. The camp is fully booked until mid-February.

Bookings at Mārahau Beach Camp so far this season are up by 32 per cent compared to the same time last year, and forward bookings are also looking strong.

Brendan Alborn, commercial director of Alborn Enterprises, a family business which includes the camp, says their busiest period is from a few days before Christmas up until the end of January.

“The average stay is two nights. A lot of people base themselves in Mārahau and then do day trips into the Abel Tasman, either using our water taxis or doing a kayaking trip.”

Across the year, the average split between domestic and international visitors is almost exactly 50 per cent, according to Brendan.

“In November and December, the split is around 60 per cent internationals and 40 per cent locals,” he says.

“Then in January, during school holidays, we have more Kiwis than internationals, but this is reversed from early February when a lot of Kiwis go back to work and school while another wave of international visitors from the northern hemisphere come to New Zealand when it is still winter in their own countries.”

Brendan says the number of overseas visitors so far this season is almost back to pre-Covid levels.

“While we do have a good base of locals who return to the camp year after year, most of the campers are from other parts of Aotearoa or other parts of the world, and they are in the region to experience the Abel Tasman.

“Over the last couple of years, we have had a lot more domestic visitors ‘wintering-over’ in the area, so that has helped increase occupancy during the winter months.”

Mārahau Beach Camp has 55 powered sites, seven non-powered sites, five cabins, and a backpacker lodge that sleeps 15 people.

“We completely renovated the camp facilities and the backpacker lodge in 2016, so everything is still looking pretty sharp,” says Brendan.