Holiday homes for workers?
Holiday houses and motels in Kaikoura could become home base for contractors working to fix earthquake-damaged homes and roads in the town.
Accommodation providers were looking forward to a busy summer prior to the earthquake, but the resulting isolation resulted in a slew of cancellations.
Instead of the usual influx of tourists, moteliers and other accommodation providers are hoping to attract a new clientele: road workers, contractors and insurance assessors.
Kaikoura Mayor Winston Gray said there was plenty of accommodation available, and it would be a bonus for businesses if companies chose to house their workers with them.
Sierra Beachfront Motel owner Joanne James said her 13-unit motel was 98 per cent booked between mid-December through until Easter before the earthquake.
Following the diaster, a spate of cancellations meant occupancy rates for the period had dropped to about 35 per cent, she said.
‘‘We definitely lost our summer market, but it’s surprised me how many people have come through over the New Year period to support us, but it’s still nowhere near what it was.
‘‘A lot of Christchurch people have been coming up saying they weren’t going to do anything, but they wanted to come up and spend a night to put money back into our economy.’’
James said she was hopeful that once insurance claims started getting settled and work began, her motel would pick up some extra trade as contractors arrived in the town.
‘‘We’re crossing our fingers that may help us continue on through the year,’’ she said.
Harcourts Kaikoura branch manager Janice Dreaver said the company managed more than 80 rental properties in the town, which completely filled up in the five weeks following the earthquake.
Within 24 hours of the disaster, Dreaver said she was contacted by two young couples who needed short-term rentals because their homes had been red-stickered.
To help accommodate demand, the real estate manager had been contacting holiday home owners asking them if they would let their properties to displaced people.
‘‘Their love of the area and the fact they have holiday homes here means they want to help Kaikoura as well,’’ she said.
As well as the short-term needs of existing Kaikoura residents, Dreaver was trying to secure as many holiday homes and additional rental properties as possible for an anticipated influx of workers.
‘‘Once the insurance providers start to settle on all the claims and the rebuilds and demolitions start to happen that’s when the extra holiday home accommodation will come in handy,’’ she said.
In south Marlborough, A1 Ward Motel and Campground owner Jules Le Grice was also hopeful of bolstering her trade with road workers coming in to repair State Highway 1.
Business in Ward had been hit hard by the earthquake, as a lot of their trade was from passing motorists on the highway.
‘‘We’ve had a couple busy weeks which has been good,’’ Le Grice said.
‘‘Hopefully we’ll attract a few workmen which will keep us going.’’