There is plenty of room for more caravans/tents at Pahiatua's Carnival Park camping grounds.
Plans are under way to restore Carnival Park in Pahiatua and the adjacent native bush reserve which has walkways throughout.
The park is administered by the Carnival Park Board of Management with trustees Stan Wolland (chairman), Karolyn Donald and Judy Gleeson.
Custodians Richard and Suzanne Hansen are making a beautiful job of the grounds, says Karolyn.
"People like the way it looks at Carnival Park and it's nice and peaceful - that's our biggest asset," says Richard. "I've noticed it mentioned in a lot of places that it's a hidden jewel.
"There are bush walks for people to go through and the park is dog friendly. There is a lot of bird life, it's amazing, it's loaded with tuis when the kowhai trees are flowering. There are kereru [wood pigeons], green finches, chaffinches, waxeyes, lorikeets and ducks taking refuge sometimes.
"The park was busy when the Blues and Hurricanes were playing locally, it was humming in the park with over 50 people staying. We had to run a shuttle service," he said.
There are many caravan and tent sites available for Christmas visitors. It's a great spot to park and go for a day's bike ride.
"People park up, set up their camp site, then the next day they're gone at dawn on their bikes cycling around the district, getting off the main highways," said Suzanne.
"Others use the site as a base for a few days and have a look at various parts of the region, coming back for the night, and others arrive to fish our six rivers for trout," she said.
The Carnival Park Board of Management operates under the auspices of Pahiatua On Track and has plans for restoration of the bush area next door which has been under the control of Department of Conservation since 1981.
"There used to be a fish pond with gold fish and a fountain, the grounds were amazing," said Karolyn. "It was designated at one stage as a botanic garden back in the days.
"The creek that used to feed into the park and into the pond was diverted. That source of water in no longer available. The tawa trees need wet feet - I think they are suffering a bit.
"There's been work in the past to get the pond resealed, but it was losing 10,000 litres of water per day. Feeding it from town supply impacted on all surrounding properties.
"We need to get an agreement with DoC [Department of Conservation] before we can do any work. Work started back in 2015 to get an agreement between DoC and Pahiatua On Track to take back management of the reserve.
"A business plan was drawn up and submitted to DoC, however staff changes meant we were back to square one again. DoC wants a meeting before Christmas to start in earnest those conversations.
"It's a 'cool' vision for the future, but the wheels turn very slowly. If it is set up as a dry area, it could be used for weddings and the like. There could be an upgrade of the playground equipment that has been looked after by Pahiatua Rotary and Lions clubs. Fitness equipment, jogging/cycling tracks, jungle gym and a barbecue are all on the radar.
"As the old septic system is replaced in the south-east part of the park, there will be a progressive replacement of exotic trees with natives," said Karolyn.
The beautiful area of native bush of about 6.8 hectares (17 acres) became the property of the public which subscribed the money for its purchase in 1914 - according to the book Forty Mile Bush by C. J. Carle.
Those responsible for the park being acquired were Edward Baucke, R. W. Carpenter (editor of the Herald) and J. A. Walsh. It was Mr Walsh who organised a Queen Carnival to raise the funds, £900 sterling.
During the Great War, a carnival organised by him raised £11,000 for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund and £1000 for the French War Orphans. The funds for the War Memorial and the Kenny Byane Memorial in Pahiatua's square were raised by his efforts.
The Kenneth Anderson Bayne Memorial records how a child crawled through a porthole on the S.S. Ruahine in 1916 and Bayne, a returning wounded soldier with only one arm in use, jumped into the shark-infested waters to try and save the child. Neither was seen again.