Kaikohe has welcome mat for motorhomes

Kaikohe has every intention of making the most of its newly conferred ‘motorhome friendly’ status by rolling out the welcome mat for close to 80,000 New Zealand Motor Caravan Association members.

Motorhome friendly status recognises towns that go the extra mile to make motorhome owners welcome by providing overnight parking within easy reach of shops, water supplies, dump stations and other facilities.

Kaikohe shares the designation with 48 other places in New Zealand. Whangarei is the only other Northland destination on the list.

The association’s chief executive, Bruce Lochore, said being named a motorhomefriendly town could boost tourism spending in Kaikohe. Every year association members spent $211 million touring the country.

“Our members enjoy travelling in Northland, and staying whenever possible in their own certified self-contained vehicles.

“This type of travel brings tourism dollars into the area without adding undue extra pressure to local facilities,” Mr Lochore said.

To win the status Kaikohe Business Association members worked to clean up the town and make it more visually attractive, while Far North District Council staff reduced legal hurdles by amending two bylaws that prevented motorhome users from legally stopping and camping overnight.

Kaikohe-Hokianga councillor John Vujcich said attracting motorhomes to the town was a low-cost, low-impact way to spread Northland’s tourism boom more evenly across the district.

Signs will be erected at the approaches to Kaikohe informing visitors of its new status.