Taupō Top 10 Holiday Park highly recommended in NZ Herald 'Best of Summer' campaign

Taupō Top 10 Holiday Park owners Matt Blank (left), Kris Blank, Suzi Blank and Darren Blank at the bottom of the new pool they have been busy building this summer. Photo / David Beck

Ōhope Beach has been voted the best campground in a recent NZ Herald reader survey to find the best the country has to offer each summer.

In the survey, readers nominated their favourite campgrounds, fish 'n' chip shops, playgrounds, beach walks, and ice cream or gelato shops.

Snapping at their heels were the Taupō Top 10 Holiday Park and Hahei Beach Resort campground, both being highly recommended.

The endorsement is a reflection of the hard work put in by the Blank brothers Matt and Darren, and their wives Kris and Suzi. Three years ago the two couples bought the campground and, despite being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, have taken on a series of major renovation projects.

Their latest project is a lagoon-style pool. Kris says the Auckland lockdown was a double-edged sword, as it allowed them to dig up half the park to put in a new power supply, but at the same time they didn't have much of an income.

The project is valued at half a million dollars, and Matt says Darren came up with the idea to build the lagoon-style pool, he executed it using his engineering skills, Suzi contributed her design flair, and Kris arranged the finances.

In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Matt says they decided to forge ahead due to demand from domestic tourists.

Auckland represents 70 per cent of their market.

Taupō Top 10 Holiday Park co-owner Kris Blank cools down in the new pool, February 2022. Photo / Rachel Canning

The Taupō Top 10 Holiday Park was 80 to 90 per cent booked for Waitangi weekend.

Some people are wondering where all the Aucklanders are and Kris says a big difference between now and after the first few lockdowns is that Aucklanders could previously travel with confidence, but fears around Covid-19 still linger.

The summer concert draws a good number of visitors to the town over Auckland Anniversary weekend but this year the concert was delayed, and then cancelled. Kris says this is why Aucklanders stayed home this year.

"Also, people in Auckland have run out of annual leave. And lockdowns are expensive and they've run out of money," Kris says.

"There's an outbreak of Covid-19, and people ring up and cancel because they have a fear of the unknown and they fear they may not be able to get home if they leave."

The owners have faith in the market and are planning a new playground and bouncy pillow, due for completion in a year.