With water on two sides and just a block back from the beach, the new Kaiaua NZMCA Park – which is pictured above while earthworks were underway ʹ ŝƐ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚůLJ ƐŝƚĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ƚŽ ĞŶũŽLJ Ăůů ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂ ŚĂƐ ƚŽ ŽīĞƌ͘
THE 53RD NZMCA PARK WILL BENEFIT BOTH MEMBERS AND LOCALS
T
he Coromandel and Hauraki District ŚĂǀĞ ůŽŶŐͲďĞĞŶ ĨĂǀŽƵƌŝƚĞ ĚĞƐƟŶĂƟŽŶƐ for motorhomers and caravanners, now the area is even easier to explore thanks to the upcoming opening of the new NZMCA Park at Kaiaua. Sited some 80kms south of Auckland, the small ƐĞĂƐŝĚĞ ƐĞƩůĞŵĞŶƚ ŝƐ ůŽĐĂƚĞĚ ŶŽƌƚŚ ŽĨ DŝƌĂŶĚĂ on the Shorebird Coast and across the Firth ĨƌŽŵ dŚĂŵĞƐ͘ EŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ŝƐ <ĂŝĂƵĂ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ƐƚĂƌƟŶŐ ƉŽŝŶƚ ĨŽƌ ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽƌŽŵĂŶĚĞů͕ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ǁĞůůͲ worth a visit in its own right with the Miranda Thermal Pools (which are currently temporarily ĐůŽƐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ƌĞŶŽǀĂƟŽŶƐͿ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ DŝƌĂŶĚĂ Shorebird Centre close by. The Park is next door to the Bay View Hotel restaurant and bar and the iconic Kaiaua &ŝƐŚĞƌŝĞƐ͕ ŬŶŽǁŶ ĨŽƌ ŝƚƐ ǁŽƌůĚͲĨĂŵŽƵƐ ĮƐŚ ĂŶĚ ĐŚŝƉƐ͘ dŚĞƌĞ͛Ɛ ĂůƐŽ Ă ƐǁŝŵŵŝŶŐ ŚŽůĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŶĞdžƚ to the site. NZMCA Parks are always about fostering a ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ
62 | The Motor Caravanner
ƚŚĞƌĞ͛Ɛ Ă ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ĞŵƉŚĂƐŝƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ <ĂŝĂƵĂ WĂƌŬ͕ ƐĂLJƐ E D EĂƟŽŶĂů DĂŶĂŐĞƌ Property & Policy, James Imlach. James explains the lease agreement with ůĂŶĚůŽƌĚƐ :ƵƐƟŶ ĂŶĚ sŝĐŬŝ :ŽŚŶƐŽŶ ŶŽƚĞƐ that money raised from members staying at the Park will be used to support projects ĂŶĚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŝůů ďĞŶĞĮƚ ƚŚĞ local community. ͞:ƵƐƟŶ ŚĂƐ managed this project from the beginning, engaging the Hauraki District Council before working alongside the NZMCA on the ĐŽŶƐĞŶƚ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƐŝƚĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ƉůĂŶ͕ while also overseeing contractors on site,” says James.
terrain makes it suitable for riders of all ages, ĮƚŶĞƐƐ ůĞǀĞůƐ ĂŶĚ ĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ͘ Of course the trail will take you all over the ĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ŝĨ LJŽƵ ĐŚŽŽƐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ ƐƉŽŝůĞĚ ĨŽƌ choice when it comes to Motorhome Friendly Towns in the area. Paeroa is just down the road with the nearby Karangahake Gorge to explore, ƉŽƉƵůĂƌ ƚƌŽƵƚ ĮƐŚŝŶŐ ƐƉŽƚƐ ůŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĂƌďLJ Ohinemuri River, the Bullswool Farm Heritage WĂƌŬ ŽīĞƌŝŶŐ ĂŶ ŝŶƐŝŐŚƚ ŝŶƚŽ ƌƵƌĂů ůŝĨĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƵŶŵŝƐƐĂďůĞ ŐŝĂŶƚ ďŽƩůĞ ŽĨ >ΘW͘
“Huge thanks also go to local member Dave Murray #14478 who was a tremendous help ŐĞƫŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ůŝŶĞ͘͟
Nearby Waihi will keep you equally busy with its ĂŵĂnjŝŶŐ ĐŽŵďŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŐŽůĚŵŝŶŝŶŐ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ĂŶĚ natural beauty. Visit the Waihi Gold Discovery Centre and the Arts Centre and Museum. Just ŽƵƚ ŽĨ ƚŽǁŶ ŝƐ tĂŝŚŝ ĞĂĐŚ͕ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͛Ɛ safest surf beaches with plenty of walking and cycle tracks that showcase the area.
With the WĂƌŬ ƐŝƚƵĂƚĞĚ ĐůŽƐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐŝĂů ƐƚĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ,ĂƵƌĂŬŝ ZĂŝů dƌĂŝů͕ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ base for cyclists. The Grade One trail is one of the easiest in the North Island and the gentle
The Coromandel ŝƐ Ă ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ ĚĞƐƟŶĂƟŽŶ ĂůůͲ LJĞĂƌͲƌŽƵŶĚ͕ ƐŽ ŶĞdžƚ ŵŽŶƚŚ͛Ɛ ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ park is ideal for members planning winter getaways.
