Staying at home in style

By RIC ORAM

Sandie and Daniel Biskind bought 24ha of bushclad hillside at Russell as a spiritual retreat.

They built a house, called Sacred Space, for themselves and are finishing off two self-catering cottages and a love nest called First Light Temple.

This summer they will rent out the cottages at $4000 each a week; they have an offer of $12,000 a week for their house; and will offer the love nest to holidaymakers at $10,000 a week.

Kept home by the weak New Zealand dollar and the consequent exorbitant cost of overseas holidays, some Kiwis are paying big money for holiday accommodation. At the other end of the scale, camping grounds are taking more bookings than last year and camping supply stores are busy.

Owners of waterfront homes are getting up to $570 a night, and camping grounds are being booked out for the week from Boxing Day at $4 to $10 a night per adult.

Five Auckland couples are renting the Biskinds' two adjoining, self-catering cottages for a fortnight in January. And an American couple are interested in renting their house.

"We built the house for ourselves," Mrs Biskind says, "but we knew we would offer it for rent from time to time - and we would move out to Auckland for the duration or go over to Australia."

Each place is new and has decks and views. The house takes eight people in four bedrooms with en-suites, has a two-storey lounge, a 20m lap pool, spa and sauna. The secluded love nest is dominated by glass bi-fold doors and a mezzanine bedroom with a skylight. The cottages accommodate up to 10 in five bedrooms.

Lakeside at Taupo, accommodation for up to six costs $495 a night at Greenwood Lodge, one of four self-catering lodges owned by Lombardi Wines in Hawkes Bay. Takers are usually business couples from Auckland or Wellington, the company says.

Destination Lake Taupo marketing manager, Paul Yeo, says home-style accommodation is becoming a popular alternative.

The Waiheke Island Visitor Information Office has had more than 200 inquiries, most from Aucklanders, about renting islanders' homes. Promotions manager Jenny Bennett says the callers seek something for about $100 a night. Most houses start at $800 a week, with $3000 the dearest.

Some are paying up to $1700 a week on the Cormandel Peninsula to be near the beach. A three-bedroom house at Tairua is advertised for $500 a night from January 8.

Blue Penguin private beach house rentals has about 160 Coromandel homes on its books, and almost all have been rented.

They range from between $75 a night for a small apartment away from the water to $330 waterside.

Blue Penguin owner, Glenda Mawhinney says most are holiday homes, with their owners delaying their arrival until February or March.

Allen Myers, Harcourts' salesman at Mangonui, says those who want more space than a motel offers are paying $80 to $200 a night on the Northland coast.

"Often, a house is shared by two families - with a tent on the lawn for the kids - or by a group of workmates. The owners go on holiday themselves, getting away while their usually quiet neighbourhood is busy."

In the Weekend Herald last week an advertiser, "Dean," was offering to pay $2000 for a beachfront place for a week. He says he went to Sydney last Christmas-New Year; this time he is looking for a quieter time with his partner and another couple.

Campers, on the other hand, find paying up to $10 each a night more appealing: camping supply stores are busy and camping grounds are filling up fast.

Pack 'N' Pedal's Newmarket store manager, Neil Stichbury, says many people went camping last year for the first time, and obviously enjoyed it.

"Our stores are reporting huge sales, and I think we will be doing more business this year than last."

Doyles Outdoors' Auckland shops have also been busy: "They've sold a lot of tents - especially to young families going camping for the first time - and lots of kayaks," says Bridget Baker, manager of one.

The Mangawhai Heads camping ground, north of Wellsford, reached its limit of 700 over Christmas-New Year a month earlier than usual, with more families booking and fewer groups of young singles. The Kai Iwi Lakes ground, north of Dargaville, has almost reached its limit of 600 campers.

On the Coromandel, Whangapoua has been expanded to take up to 300 campers. Bookings are heavier than last year.

The Auckland Regional Council has more than 2200 sites at camping grounds in 20 of its parks. Most north of Auckland City are heavily booked, as usual, for the week from Christmas Day.