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"Thirty years ago I couldn't imagine being a caravan person," says Dawne Hayward.
"It never appealed - but there is just something about camping life."
Mrs Hayward, along with husband Ross, have been coming to Whitianga in their caravan for 29 years since they ditched motels when their children grew up.
They are among the thousands of New Zealanders who each year finish work, head to the beach and cram into places smaller, hotter and without the comforts of home - and they love every minute of it.
The Rotorua couple wouldn't trade their slice of Kiwi paradise for all the luxury holiday hideaways in the world.
Buying a caravan was a spur of the moment decision, one made when the couple saw people mowing the lawns of their sections and washing the windows of their baches.
"We didn't want that while we were on holiday."
And part of the appeal of camping life is who you'll bump into.
Mrs Hayward recalls seeing a man wading through the surf - but all you could actually see of him was his big belly. It wasn't until she saw him at a meeting in Rotorua, dressed in a business suit, that she realised she knew him.
"You get people from all walks of life - from bank managers, executives to fishermen.
"You just wouldn't know who you're going to stumble across. You form great friendships with people and recognise the same faces each year."
Mr Hayward spends most of his time fishing and diving and mocks anyone who hasn't latched on to the camping craze.
"Everytime I'm out there [on the water] I think about everyone who isn't," he laughs.
Despite the hordes of holidaymakers heading to Whitianga each year the couple believe the town has retained its laidback charm.
"It hasn't been spoilt. I remember when they started talking about putting in the marina. People just didn't want it, there were even petitions but it has been good for the town," Mrs Hayward said.
She even thinks Whitianga's waterways development won't change the town vibe.
"It's not a yuppie thing. Well, there will be a few there but they'll just fade into the landscape ... "
