Council farewells long-serving camp leaseholders

Leaseholders of Spencer Beach Holiday Park, Trevor and Kathy Inwood, have decided to relinquish the lease from 31 March, 2015.

Christchurch City Council acknowledges the hard work the Inwoods have put into developing the holiday park, at 100 Heyders Rd, Spencerville, Christchurch, over the past 20 years.

The Council is currently considering options on how the camp will operate beyond the Inwoods's exit date.

The holiday park lease expired on 2 April, 2014 and was extended a further three years. However the Inwoods advised they wished to end their association with the camp. They plan to pursue other interests.

Council Recreation and Sport Unit Manager John Filsell says; "Trevor and Kathy have really worked hard. Over the years they have developed the camp into a popular holiday destination which benefits the Christchurch community and visitors."

Camp staff have been informed that the Inwoods are leaving and are supportive of their decision.

Kathy Inwood says when she and Trevor took the lease they saw Spencer Beach Holiday Park as an opportunity and a challenge.

"It was such a beautiful place. We employed some key people who had previous experience running camps and started building the business," she says.

The 16 hectare holiday park has 348 camp sites. Mr and Mrs Inwood have refurbished tourist flats and cabins on the site and did a lot of marketing in the early stages of the lease including joining the Kiwi Holiday Parks network and establishing a website.

"We have a real pride in what we have achieved out there. It has been a big part of our lives for the best part of our lives," Mrs Inwood says.
She also acknowledges the staff. "If it wasn't for them, we couldn't have done the things we have done," she says.

She says in the peak season, 80 per cent of bookings are people from Christchurch. "We have had amazing support and have seen hundreds of thousands of people come through the camp over the years."

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