Newventure invigorates St Arnaud
St Arnaud has a new hub which has created jobs for the locals and a base aimed at enhancing its reputation as a centre for classic boats in New Zealand.
Local couple Pat and Wendy Gelling have invested 20 years in their adopted home, and their latest outlay is a $1.1 million cafe, boat storage and museum development on land they bought four years ago in the heart of the alpine village.
The Clinker Cafe opened on Friday to the hum of a busy first day’s trading, while a purposebuilt storage shed next to the cafe is filling up with classic and traditional powerboats. Several are owned by people from Auckland and Wellington who have chosen to base their boating interests at Lake Rotoiti.
The new complex, which includes retail space, also aims to accommodate a museum to showcase the area’s history of boating and alpine interests.
The Gellings moved to St Arnaud 20 years ago from Canterbury, where they worked in the ski industry. They have been involved in various businesses, including The Yellow House backpackers, St Arnaud Log Chalets and Nelson Lakes Shuttles. They operate earthmoving business Gelling Contracting.
They reached a turning point several years ago, with three growing sons, when they considered moving elsewhere, but compared to what other regions offered, St Arnaud and the Nelson Lakes area won the toss.
‘‘When we sold the motels and backpackers, we thought we had no ties, so we’d look around. The boys were of an age where we could have made the move,’’ Mr Gelling said.
Mrs Gelling said they considered Wanaka but St Arnaud offered an alpine environment only an hour from a beach.
Eldest son Cody, 13, will start at Nelson College next year. Dylan, 9, and Logan, 7, will help to keep the roll buoyant at Lake Rotoiti School for a while longer.
Mrs Gelling said it had become evident that St Arnaud needed a large venue as a regular place for locals to gather. Mr Gelling said that for too long, visitors had arrived in the village, only to leave because there were limited opportunities for them.
The development of the new 80-seat cafe, which is managed by local woman Elaine Richards, has been supported by a lot of voluntary input from the community. It is staffed by six locals working to a seven-day roster.
The complex was designed by Nelson architect Ken Robinson and built almost entirely by local tradespeople and contractors.
The organisers of the New Zealand Antique and Classic Boat Show, Pete Rainey and Glenn Common, have been fervent supporters of the development.
Mr Rainey said recently that the boats had the potential to boost St Arnaud as one part of a triangle that included Nelson and Omaka in Marlborough, which was of growing interest for classic boat, car and aviation enthusiasts.
The area also had growth potential among those who enjoyed road touring and freshwater boating activities, such as those offered by Lake Rotoiti, he said.
The storage facility, Nelson Lakes Storage, has room for 32 average-sized boats in eight-metre by 3m bays, at a weekly rate of $48 per boat.
The spaces are already filling up, and there is also a glider in winter storage.
The museum is planned for a section of the building which might also include space for general storage and a workshop area for boat maintenance, plus more retail space.
Mr Gelling is also manager of Rainbow Ski Area, which is aiming for a July 6 opening.
Snowmaking was already in full swing, he said; the rest would be up to mother nature.