Editorial: Time to farewell motor camp

There's only so many fallback positions one can take.

And for those who enjoy the amenity of Clifton Motorcamp, there've been many.

Campers have seen their treasured seaside site slip into Hawke Bay for decades. No doubt a painful experience given the nibbling rate of its decline.

Yet while there's plenty of misery, there's no mystery.

That is, there's nothing malevolent about the sea's actions, nor is it unnatural. It's in fact the sea's mission in life to erode the land. But the lamenting is understandable. It's more than a landmark. It's both the genesis and repository of 70 years of seaside memories.

My first impression of this camp, with kids in tow, was that it smacked of an old boys' club with a barrier-arm gateway and prying eyes of old salts on entry. But I soon learned this only underscored how the tenants - many of them inter-generational - prize this piece of turf. This was never more evident than in their efforts to shore-up the camp themselves.

I'm guessing the spot was chosen in the 1940s both because of its sheltering tree-filled stern, and like many Kiwi holiday destinations, the Pacific Ocean lapping at its bow.

The irony is that the proximity of the latter has been its undoing.

It's heartening to see the Hastings District Council earmark an inland camp project to the tune of $1 million. If that materialises it could signal the start of another chapter of memories.

The stoic campers defying advice and digging in should acknowledge the historic "retreat" has now taken on the verb-form of that word. Recreation areas by their very nature contain an element of unfettered risk. Without it, there would be no beauty.

Best to leave with such fond memories still intact.