Aerial view of Hahei Holiday Resort on the Coromandel Peninsula - identified by a white border.
Aerial view of Hahei Holiday Resort on the Coromandel Peninsula - identified by a white border.
With many traditional coastal holiday properties having been lost to developers, North Island campers and holidaymakers will welcome the news that the popular Hahei Holiday Resort has been purchased by a group of New Zealand-based investors who will keep operating it as a typical Kiwi campground.
The resort, comprising 6.79 hectares of land and buildings immediately behind the beach at Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula, was purchased for $13.25 million.
Marketed by John Bedford and Warren Hutt of CBRE, the sale of the property is now unconditional, with settlement to take place on October 1.
John Bedford of CBRE.
"The purchasers always wanted continue running the property as a holiday resort and add value to it. In addition the intended end use was a key selling factor for the Carter-Harsant family," Bedford says.
Hutt says interest in the resort was received from nearly 100 serious parties within New Zealand and from overseas. "We are pleased the resort will now continue in Kiwi hands," he says.
Vaughan Magnusson, spokesperson for the purchasers and a long-term investor in the Opoutere campground in the Coromandel, says the group had been involved in Opoutere for 10 years and wanted to invest in another holiday location.
"When the Hahei Holiday Resort came up for sale we thought 'let's have a crack at it'," Magnusson says. "Hahei beach is spectacular and it is near the major scenic attractions of Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. It is difficult not to be impressed by the place.
"Our vision for Hahei is for it to continue to be run as a great Kiwi family holiday resort. We want people to enjoy the camping they have loved here for years, and to encourage people to see that there's more to the resort than camping. The resort has villas, studios and apartments so holidaymakers don't have to be in a tent to enjoy Hahei. We are also hopeful the staff will come along with us on the journey.
"Most importantly, we want to ensure that customers know that all bookings made to date will be honoured, and that we are open for business as usual."
Magnusson says Thames Coromandel's district mayor, Glenn Leach, and council officers were supportive of maintaining a sustainable resort operation.
Spokesperson for the previous owners, Ian Carter, says that the sale is great news for the Carter-Harsant family which operated the successful family-owned holiday and tourist business for more than 50 years.
"We love the resort and although we are sad to hand it over after 50 years of ownership, we are pleased will continue to move forward as a resort. Carrying on the Kiwi camping legacy at Hahei is good news for campers, the Hahei community and tourism on the Coromandel Peninsula."
