GREAT MEMORIES: Paul and Keri Jeffries, and their children Chelsea, 15, and Kent 16, pictured in 2012, stayed at Golden Grove Holiday Park for 14 summers. PHOTO/FILE
News of the sale of Golden Grove Holiday Park to an investor has left me with mixed feelings.
I'm not at all surprised it has been snapped up by an investor. Any land between Girven Rd and Mauao has been selling quickly and going for mega-bucks in recent weeks.
More and more Aucklanders are moving down here and many are looking to buy at the Mount.
Read more about the sale here
Prices are going up and areas around Bayfair, which used to be looked down on, are now becoming more popular.
Subdividable sites around Crane St and Paterson St are being sold quickly and houses in the area being done up.
I can see why it would be a lucrative investment opportunity.
Any new houses there are bound to be snapped up quickly.
It's close to the beach, handy to Bayfair and only a short drive from Tauranga's central business district and Mount Maunganui.
More houses are desperately needed in Tauranga, with the demand for houses constantly outstripping the supply of properties for sale.
In that respect, the sale of the holiday park is good for the city.
At the same time, I can't help feeling a bit sad that the holiday park may no longer be.
Some of my most fond memories are of camping with my family during summer.
It's a Kiwi tradition, but camping grounds are becoming few and far between in many places.
Owner of the Cosy Corner Holiday Park on Oceanbeach Rd Greg Davidson said it was becoming harder to make a living from holiday parks - especially in winter.
"The land's just too valuable unfortunately. Unless you've got a big camp, they're not really that viable," he said.
I fear that is the case with many popular hotspots. Camping grounds in parts of the Coromandel have been slowly disappearing, too.
We need to make sure there are still spots for families to camp.
Every Kiwi kid should go camping at least once in their life. With the prevalence of technology these days I think it is especially important for parents to make sure their kids get away and enjoy the outdoors.
'The business is no longer viable yet I have two years left on my lease'.