"I had thoughts that the tent would be up and I would be drinking beer by 4pm," she told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend yesterday.
While the fire meant arranging a rental car for the family holiday it was the Harman family she really felt for.
"I feel sorry for them. It's their business. For us it's just a car and nobody's hurt, but it's their business.
"They are great. They always do a good job, they are always on time. I'm just more gutted for them - and me now cramped in a tiny car with four people and a dog that gets car sick."
Mark Harman was devastated to see the business, which he set up with his father, Mike, in 2003, burn to the ground.
"I feel sorry for the customers who had their cars in there. We had customers trying to get away on holiday. There were 11 cars destroyed in the process. One was mine and one was a forklift."
Mr Harman jnr was at his home in Rotorua when he got a call to say the workshop was on fire about 11pm.
The building was "well and truly ablaze" by the time he got there.
He had not yet started calculating the cost of the fire but said it would be well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The workshop would have to be completely rebuilt, but despite it all Mr Harman jnr remained positive.
"What can you do? It is what it is and we have to deal with it. It's a bit depressing looking at it, but at least no one's injured," he said.
"It's an opportunity for a new start and new beginning and improving and growing."
Mr Harman snr raced to the workshop as soon as he got wind of the fire and was still there when the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend spoke to him about noon yesterday.
It had always been their dream to have their own workshop.
"It happens. It's your worst nightmare - something you always dread. We'll just come back brighter and stronger. You don't have a choice."
Papamoa volunteer fire brigade deputy chief fire officer Brent Stanford said the building was already completely engulfed when the firefighters arrived.
It took five fire trucks and about 30 firefighters almost three hours to get the fire out.
Oil drums, car tyres and LPG tanks exploded in the fire making the situation more hazardous for fire fighters.
He said the crews did a great job of stopping the fire spreading to the Bridgestone Tyre Centre which was attached to the workshop. That half of Up in flames: Garage is destroyed
the building escaped with only smoke damage, he said.
Nearby resident Carl Wiggins could see flames shooting above the two-storey building between his house and the workshop.
"I was sitting down in my room and I just heard this boom. A friend who lived down on Opal Drive heard it and came down as well. The flames were probably over two storeys tall."
Papamoa resident Jason Marra could hear the explosions and see the smoke from his house about a kilometre from the workshop.
"I heard an explosion and I thought someone was breaking into my garage so I went out to see what was going on. My neighbours came out to see what the commotion was. We could see all the smoke in the sky.
"I chucked some clothes on and came down to have a look. It was a little bit of a local gathering.
"The flames were out through the roof. It was huge. It was popping and banging everywhere. It just went, 'boom', that's for sure. You could hear the [gas] bottles going off. She was pretty bad all right."
Mr Marra said he felt sorry for the owners who were well respected in the area.
"Mark runs a good crew. It's certainly a horrible scenario for him. He's a really nice guy, old Mark. He goes out of his way to be accommodating. He runs a pretty good business. I feel sorry for him. He does lots for the community as well."
News of the fire was greeted with disbelief at Mount Maunganui College.
For the past seven years Harman Automotive has supported the school's Gateway programme, offering senior students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in different industries.
The college's Gateway co-ordinator, Geoff Walker, told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend he was extremely saddened to hear of the fire.
"Mark has been an absolute gem and to hear this is a huge shame.
"He's such a strong supporter of the school and an advocate for young people, and I can't speak highly enough of him."
Traditionally, a number of students spent time at Harman Automotive each year as part of the Gateway programme, but the fire had meant plans would have to change, Mr Walker said.
"It's really awful to hear about something like this and we wish him the best of luck and hope he can get back on his feet."
Fire safety officer Ken McKeagg said the cause of the fire had not yet been established and investigations were ongoing.
