Classic seaside campground for sale
Amuch loved seaside campground in the Coromandel township of Whitianga is now for sale. The land, buildings and business supporting the Harbourside Holiday Park overlooking Whitianga Harbour are spread over 14,373sq m of land.
The property contains a multitude of accommodation options — ranging from powered tent and caravan sites, through to tourist flats and social infrastructure found at many a Kiwi campground.
The predominantly rectangular site with its exclusive driveway access across the road from a sandy beach has been operating as a campground for almost 50 years — establishing a “core” group of holidaymakers who regularly camp at the Harbourside Holiday Park over the Christmas/New Year period.
Current business and property operators Chris and Angela Evans have owned the site since 1984 — running the park themselves for many years. (It is now operated under a management contract).
The campground is being marketed as “turnkey operation”, comprising:
● 98 individual grassed sites for tent campers, caravans and camper vans; 61 powered and 37 unpowered.
● 7 cabins and 4 self-contained tourist flats.
● Separate laundry with laundry tubs, coin-operated washing machines and dryers.
● Indoor communal dining area and reading room and additional outdoor communal dining area.
● Recently refurbished shower blocks.
● Leisure amenities including an in-ground swimming pool, TV room and children’s playground.
● A three-bedroom owner/manager’s house — campground office attached
● Parking for boats trailers, boat washing and fish cleaning facilities,
● A communal kitchen facility — containing fridges, freezers, electric hobs and microwave ovens on stainless steel benching.
The freehold land, buildings and business at 135 Albert St are being marketed for sale by auction at 11am on May 17, through Bayleys Hamilton. Property and business feature in Bayleys’ latest Total Property portfolio magazine.
Salesman Josh Smith says trading accounts for the operation show highest occupancy is the week before Christmas, through till the beginning of February when the school year begins.
Solid booking levels are then tracked throughout the remainder of summer, up until Easter weekend.
Smith believes the layout and infrastructure mean the venue can be mainly staffed by a “husband and wife” management structure — either as owner/operators or under a leased management contract.
Additional part-time cleaners are brought into the business over the busier summer months between December and February.
He sees an opportunity for the holiday park to grow its revenue stream by increasing the inventory of fixed accommodation options to derive a higher dollar value per guest night.
“With ample open flat grassed space, it could easily be expanded — either adding more budget cabins or self-contained apartments with greater levels of guest comforts,” Smith says.
“Moving up the add-value ladder, the flat topography will perfectly suit the trend of accommodating refurbished 40-60 foot steel shipping containers transformed into chic baches. These can be easily transported on and off most sites in a similar way to caravans; albeit they’re transported on the back of trucks.”
Smith points out that there are about 482sq m of buildings within the holiday park site, which is zoned residential 9A.
“Meanwhile, being just across the road from Whitianga Harbour means the land is generally free-draining. This allows grass areas to dry quickly following any heavy rainfall. And that allows higher occupancy levels for guests sleeping under canvas.”