Getting away from it all: Caravan appears on lake

Glendhu Bay Motor Camp manager Phil Hunt "camps" in the middle of Lake Wanaka yesterday. Photo / Jeff Donaldson

The grass beds of Lake Wānaka took on a whole new meaning yesterday, when a caravan appeared on the Glendhu Bay Motor Camp pontoon with a patch of greenery beside it.

Manager Phil Hunt said the old staff caravan was moved on to the pontoon "for a bit of a joke".

The "grass" had originally been a section of synthetic tennis court covering and was rescued from the rubbish.

The caravan contained a bed.

It would be used by his son and partner overnight, Hunt said, and today they were going to move a hot tub on to the pontoon and hold a barbecue.

Hunt said the pontoon had been extremely popular with children over the summer, and on one occasion it had 102 people on it.

Unlike many other accommodation providers, Glendhu Bay Motor Camp had its best summer in years.

Today, it was expecting another big influx, of competitors arriving for the Challenge Wānaka Half, Hunt said.