"After being discovered in the Victorian era, Te Aroha's therapeutic waters drew countless visitors from Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and beyond.
"In its heyday, Te Aroha's thermal waters rivalled those of the now more famous Rotorua region."
Smith says Te Aroha can claim the only hot water soda spring in the southern hemisphere, while the holiday park has selection of calcium-based mineral spring bathing pools. After being built in the 1960s, the holiday park provided the main swimming pool for townsfolk and primary school pupils.
It has multiple accommodation options, from powered caravan and tent sites through to variously-configured budget cabins and self-contained cottages.
Nightly rack rates are $33 for a two-person camp site; $38 for two people in a camper van; $85 for two people in a cottage or $110 for two people in a self-contained motel unit.
Smith says that having operated as a campground for five decades, the business has the loyalty of a "core group of holidaymakers", who camp at the holiday park every Christmas/New Year break.
"There's the regular short-stay free independent traveller (FIT) clientele and most recently growing numbers of recreational cyclists, says Smith.
"Te Aroha is directly on the Matamata to Paeroa axis of the cycle trail; as a result the town is benefiting from cyclists coming in to use the main mineral pools, or staying at the holiday park. They relish a pool and accommodation facility located in park-like setting," says Smith.
"The Hauraki Rail Trail Charitable Trust is confident the current route will be extended even further with the Te Aroha to Matamata leg expected to be operational within two years."
The facility is for sale as a turn-key operation - complete with all necessary operating infrastructure:
• 20 individual grassed sites for tents.
• 35 powered sites for caravans and camper vans and tents.
• Four 'family cabins' which can sleep up to four people.
• Two motel-style two-bedroom units which sleep up to seven people.
• Eight free-standing cabins which can sleep up to three people.
• Five self-contained free-standing cottages which can sleep up to five people.
• Five 'retro' style caravans.
• A communal toilet and bathroom block.
• A communal kitchen amenity with fridge, freezers, electric hobs and microwave oven.
• A communal coin-operated laundry facility.
• A children's adventure playground built among mature oak trees, and featuring a flying fox and multi-level obstacle course.
• A games room with TV lounge and pool table.
Grassed tennis court.
• A swimming pool complex consisting of a heated plunge pool, a 16-metre-long swimming pool, and separate toddlers pool.
Smith says the business comes with a four-bedroom owner/managers home, which has the campground's office and reception area.
The calcium-rich bore water used to fill the Te Aroha Holiday Park plunge pool is heated to around 40C by gas burners, while the main swimming pool (operated primarily throughout the busy summer season) is naturally around 24C.
"Considering growing tourism in this part of the Waikato, a new owner has the opportunity to take on a well-performing business and invigorate it to the next level," he says.
"There is also under utilised space within the property which could easily house new accommodation units aimed at the higher-spending end of the tourist market."
