From the pits to paradise

What was once a scruffy shingle pit has been transformed into a leafy holiday park.

We think a round of applause is in order. Anyone who can take a scruffy shingle pit and transform it into a leafy holiday park deserves not only a jolly good clap but a cup of tea and a lie down.

But there’s probably little time for that around the Bayview Snapper Holiday Park in Hawke’s Bay.

In 1993 businessman Jim Coyle wangled the purchase of a 9-acre disused Railways depot at Bay View, north of Napier.

Originally intending to sub-divide, compliance challenges soon derailed those plans and Jim hit on the idea of creating a campground instead.

He must have possessed considerable vision and a love of hard graft, because this grey-fields site was strangled by blackberry and bereft of amenities. Fortunately Jim’s a dab hand with a bulldozer and a king of DIY.

Landscaping started immediately, with Jim shaping the grounds, using an excavator to shift river silt from beneath the shingle.

Trees were planted, ‘Two for every one still standing,’ says Jim. It was a steep learning curve. ‘When I started, I didn’t even know what an agapanthus was.’ Incredibly, by Christmas 1994, the park was ready to accommodate its first campers.

Early visitors must have found the grounds spartan. But by choosing to stay at the baby Snapper they encouraged and supported Jim in his endeavour, and its development continued.

By 1998, the transformation was well under way. Compare the photo taken in 1993 to the one in 1998, and you get an idea of the work involved.

Shoved aside are the gravelly greys, replaced by swathes of green grass and a rainbow of tents. Trees and shrubs were taking hold, too.

In late December 2010 we visited Bayview Snapper for the first time, and had we not known of its history as a shingle pit, it’s unlikely we would have worked it out for ourselves. 

Striking us as we drove in was how established the camp felt for a relatively young park. The gardens have matured to create a verdant feel, as has the hardy kikuyu grass Jim ‘imported’ from Mahia to carpet the floor.

The well-oiled office and tidy amenities block sit slightly elevated, overlooking the camp towards a large, seaward bank that provides shelter from the onshore breeze.

Close to the entrance, the unpowered camping area is charming, with thoughtfully planted trees and shrubs for shade, and spongy grass underfoot. (A shingle pit? You wouldn’t believe it!) Powered sites are arranged in a hedgerowed grid.

A modest number are occupied by long-staying visitors, lending a lived-in feel.

The park also has one cabin and nine tourist flats, including a row of eight motel units sitting proud atop the bank with expansive views up and down the coast and out to sea.

There are a handful of campsites along the top, too. These are exceptional spots for the camper or motorhome traveller, and just about the closest sites to the beach as anywhere in the Bay.

The communal facilities block is no-frills but ship-shape. The kitchen, for example, is full of personality and a far cry from the minimalist stainless steel workhorses of New Zealand’s larger holiday parks.

The office, in the same block, is equally as welcoming, exuding an air of ‘come as you are, we’ll sort you out’.

Jim and his team bounce along with affability and thought for the environment, too.

Green schemes including solar heating, recycling, composting and the use of sustainable products have earned them an Enviro Silver award.

We love the Bay and its balmy summer days, and Bayview Snapper is a great place from which to explore it.

It’s only a 10-minute drive to downtown Napier, and close to the park there’s heaps to do including fishing, wineries, and cycling the coastal pathway. But if you’re just looking to kick back and relax in a quiet, seaside haven, you’ll be happy here too.

One thing’s for sure, this place ain’t the pits!

Don't forget to check out the video at the top of the article, where Jim talks about Bayview Snapper and the region.

Bayview Snapper Holiday Park, Bay View, Hawke’s Bay
www.snapperpark.co.nz

www.holidayparks.co.nz