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Bennett and Slater
Travel writing, publishing, editorial. www.bennettandslater.co.nz lee@bennettandslater.co.nz
Kennedy Park Top 10 voted nation's best holiday park.
At the 2010 New Zealand Tourism Industry Awards, Napier’s Kennedy Park Top 10 Resort took out the gong for the nation’s best holiday park.
Considering the high quality of holiday parks across New Zealand this is no mean feat, so we set off to Hawke’s Bay to see what all the fuss is about.
Our weekend break got off to a great start when we left Wellington and the clouds parted, and by the time we got to the Bay it was baking hot and blue sky all over.
Arriving in Napier and pulling up at the holiday park gates, Kennedy Park Top 10 basked in the rosy glow of late afternoon sun. But fantastic weather makes all campgrounds look good, don’t you think?
Less than two kilometres from the centre of Napier, Kennedy Park started life as a municipal camping ground, established in 1937. It has remained publicly owned ever since.
Nearly seventy-five years on, the park has matured into a graceful but modern complex, spread over seven acres and holding almost 1600 people at full capacity.
A small village of cabins and communal buildings sits close to the entrance, but beyond this the park opens up into green and spacious park-style grounds, enhanced by a wealth of facilities.
Max greets us at reception. He exhibits the well-honed professionalism of a busy man at a busy desk, but he’s also very friendly and funny.
Briefing us on the facilities and directing us to our pitch on the map, he points out the playground: ‘Here is the jumping pillow,’ he says. ‘A bounce is compulsory.’
Still giggling over that one, we steer our van towards the camping area. (We are driving our newly converted Toyota Hiace, and this is to be our first night in it.)
Passing a traffic sign that instructs us to ‘HAVE FUN – RELAX’, we fall in behind a pedal cart zooming ahead of us. The kids are certainly having fun, and Dad seems pretty relaxed despite having to pedal for four!
About a third of Kennedy Park’s seven hectares is set aside for tents and campervans, with 92 powered and 78 non-powered sites.
It’s a very appealing camping area, carpeted in lush grass and studded with exotic trees – there’s plenty of shade, some privacy amongst the shrubbery, and picnic benches for the quick.
We hook-up in Shady Lane, and mosey off to explore the rest of the park.
Besides the collection of wonderful old trees, one of the first things we notice is how tidy everything is. The lawns are mown and flowerbeds weeded. All the buildings are ship-shape, including the cute, old cabins built way back in the 1950s.
The barbecue area, prone to a coating of grime, is as clean as a whistle and boasts four easy-care hobs that shine only with elbow grease. The communal facilities – kitchen, bathrooms, lounges and games room – are spotless.
Along the driveways and paths, not a skerrick of litter can be seen. We couldn’t even spot a cigarette butt.
There are obviously some eagle eyes on staff. Kiri, who shows us around, tells us the park employs more than 50 people in high season, of which three are full-time ground staff.
They have to keep the bar raised, because right next door is the excellent Kennedy Park Rose Garden, run by the Napier City Council. Just pop through the gate, and boom!
An ocean of blooms! Five thousand bushes, five hundred varieties in all. What a wonderful bonus for the park’s guests.
The feel-good factor continues in a shade of green, with environmental sustainability a top priority. In 2009 it was awarded the Westpac Chamber of Commerce Business Award for Excellence in Sustainable Business, and also holds a Qualmark Enviro-Gold rating.
The holiday park is also involved with local community projects such as sports team sponsorship and environmental restoration, and because its owned by the council, profits end up going back into the community.
The playground lies at the heart of the park, with climbing frames, slides, swings and the famous jumping pillow, of course.
A swimming pool and petanque court lie alongside, although the latter will shortly make way for a brand new pool. In the same area, Storkey’s Restaurant & Bar is open from 6pm daily in high season.
There are certainly plenty of amenities, all within a stone’s throw of the accommodation. This gives the park its resort feel – you could park up for a week and hardly need to leave the grounds.
Kennedy Park Top 10 Resort was relatively quiet when we visited in early December, but things must hum along when the rooms fill up.
There are 91 units in all, including studio motels, two-bedroom villas, one-bedroom holiday units, ensuites and cabins. Considering the number of buildings and the mixture of architectural styles, the park feels both cohesive and easy on the eye.
The new ‘kitchen cabins’ were completed in 2009, although our personal favourites were the charming 1970s motel units with their concrete and breezeblock, attended by geranium and lavender.
An imposing two-storey arc of holiday units, built in 1980s, stands surprisingly handsome on its manicured lawn overlooking a magnolia and a mighty fig tree.
Kennedy Park has the feel of a small village, with the various accommodation options attracting all sorts of people – from backpackers in pup tents, through to family and sports groups.
We even spied a suited gentleman scurrying from his motel room, no doubt heading to business in town. Over 100,000 people stayed at the holiday park last year; there’s something for everyone here.
Peak season, tent/power sites cost $45 per night for people. For a proper roof over your head, prices for two people range from a very reasonable $83/90 for standard cabin (weekday/weekend, sleeps up to seven) through to $205/214 for the fully-equipped, still sparkling two-bedroom villas (weekday/weekend, sleeps up to six).
Off-season you can expect special rates and some great promotions and family packages, but during the Rugby World Cup the prices will rise slightly.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable stay at Kennedy Park Top 10 Resort. It was impressive across the board – from the enthusiasm at reception and the personal service overall, to the quality of accommodation and its value for money, to the cleanliness, the ground-keeping, the facilities for children and the space to relax.
It looks like a complex that has been built up gradually with a focussed vision of rest and relaxation, respect for the environment, whilst still fostering fun and good times. A deserved winner, we say.
Kennedy Park Top 10 Resort, Storkey Street, Napier
By Paul McArdle