Autumn brings with it a settling of fast paced summer vibes. While the days become shorter, they seem to slow down; the light becomes softer and highlights the crispness of the leaves as they change. Incredible colours and sights make exploring our beautiful country feel like you’re walking through a painting.
The hero image of this Hello was taken at Hampshire Holiday Park – Arrowtown and embodies the autumnal vibe we have coming our way.
This summer has had its incredible moments but sadly it’s also been a challenging and tragic year for many holiday makers, and providers. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the heart-breaking incident at Mount Maunganui (Mauao).
There never seems to be the right words to express what we as people and as an industry feel, but somehow these feel like a good fit:
Nā koutou i tangi, nā tātau katoa
When you cry, your tears are shed by us all
As we look toward the season ahead, we’re bringing you the inside scoop on activities that compliment your holiday park get away.h that spirit of renewal, let’s look toward the season ahead.
- A walking festival? Yep.
- The best places to stay with your bicycle? Absolutely.
- A yearlong celebration of seaside holidays? You betcha.
- Discount codes for autumn breaks? 100%
So, grab a drink and your favourite snack, and get set to be inspired for your autumn break.
100 Years of Seaside Holiday Fun
Whenever we get off a call with one of our holiday park owners or managers there is a moment of “wow, they are so passionate about what they do”, and that vibe was threefold after spending time on the phone with the amazing Debbie of Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park recently.
The park is in the throes of hosting a yearlong celebration of 100 years of the Tāhuna Sands Association being established, and the incredible things that have been achieved in the last century.
In 1926 (just imagine the pre-war bathing suits!) the Tāhuna Sands Association was tasked with developing the beach space. That came in the form of changing facilities, a playground, and a small kiosk. From there the area organically grew to include a small group of shops, a community hall, and of course in 1937 camping in the spot was made official with the creation of a motor home park – now known as Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park.
Debbie and the team have done an incredible job of researching the history of Tāhuna Beach (you can discover more here) and spent hours planning this year’s events, ensuring that locals, community groups, and of course visitors are celebrated for their contribution to 100 years of seaside holidays.
The centenary started on New Year’s Day this year with the reveal of their whānau tree. Each leaf represents an individual or family whose involvement with the park for at least 20 years has left a lasting imprint on the park – guests, staff, residents, Board members are all represented on there. Of note there is:
- A staff member whose been with the park for over 37 years (and still going)
- A family that can trace their holiday beginnings back to 1949
- A Board member who has served 30 years
- Several families from Dunollie – a small mining town on the West Coast – that have been holidaying at the park since the 1950s
- Another family that has had the same camping site number since the 1960s
Tāhunanui Beach has been a favourite holiday spot for decades, but the real magic is how deeply the park is woven into its community. They employ locals, back local groups, and go out of their way to make sure nearby businesses are part of the experience.
The Tāhuna Beach team want everyone to know this isn’t just a celebration of the park alone, but of the whole community without which Tāhuna would not be the thriving seaside getaway it is today.
Events are scheduled for throughout 2026 and there’s something for everyone.
In April they are opening the park to the public as part of Tuku Whakatū 2026 (Nelson’s annual heritage festival). Locals and holidaymakers will be able to come into the holiday park and take in the history using the Pick Path storytelling app technology. This is handily timed with the Easter break/school holidays and perfect for people looking to entertain themselves, their family, and friends.
Of course, a 100-year celebration wouldn’t be a complete without a recording of the history so far, and this will be in the form of a book. There’s still time for you to be a part of this; memory submissions are open until April, and you can submit your memory right here. The book is to be launched in September at the 100th AGM.
Keen to keep people engaged, even if they can’t be there in person, the Tāhuna Beach crew have created several digital event options including a ‘Recreate this Picture’ (Now & Then) starting this month!
A recent sand sculpture competition turned the beach into a pop-up art exhibition.
A century of seaside holidays is no small thing, and we know it won’t be just our team taking this year-long celebration as an opportunity to book a couple of nights to go and visit – the beach clean-up in September and the sunset photo competition are ticking boxes for some of us!
To book your holiday or find out more about Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park click the button below, the team are ready to welcome you. And if you’re travelling from the North Island, don’t forget to grab our Holiday Parks NZ Interislander discount code and make the journey part of the adventure.
What’s New at our Holiday Parks
Cooler days call for warmer stays. The Camp – Lake Hawera invites you to sweat it out in their sauna, dive in the lake, and call it balance. Book now.
Is Coromandel Shelley Bay TOP 10 Holiday Park the first holiday park letting you order coffee straight from your tent? They might just be! Book now!
Holiday Parks for sale or lease? Or land your dream holiday park job! We’ve got them listed in one handy spot. Find them here.
Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve has kids stay free for Easter, and 75% off winter bookings! Find out more
Waipu Cove has been named NZ’s best beach for 2025/26. Stay at Camp Waipu Cove and discover why! Book Here
Rotorua Walking Festival – 20 – 22 March 2026
The Rotorua Walking Festival is hitting the ‘streets’ this March and is packed with walks (as the name suggests!), live music, charity events, international visitors and even a celebrity!
Anyone can get you the details of these events, but only we have the Park/Walk link to get you the inside scoop.
Let us introduce you to Deryck Shaw, chair of the Rotorua Walking Festival Organising Committee, Board member of Holiday Parks NZ, and owner of several holiday parks in New Zealand through the Great Value Accommodation brand.
Our team had the opportunity to get you the behind-the-scenes story of how the festival came into existence, and some of the history that makes this international event a highlight on the Rotorua Events calendar.
The festival started in 1994 – the year that Once Were Warriors was released, when baggy jeans and flannel shirts were in fashion, Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Love is all Around’ had sat at #1 on the charts for four weeks, and Google did not exist!
The Rotary Club of Rotorua West decided to start a walking festival modelled on successful events held throughout the world. Even at the first event there were international visitors, and participation grew from there.
Deryck Shaw, chair of the Rotorua Walking Festival Organising Committee,
Board member of Holiday Parks NZ
Within just a few short years the event became too big for Rotary to host alongside its other fundraising and community activities, so the NZ Walking Association Incorporated was established.
In 1997, the Rotorua International Two-Day Walk (the festival’s name at the time) was held as an International Marching League accredited event for the first time.
The Rotorua Walking Festival remains the only IML accredited walking festival in NZ and has had international visitors from as far afield as Europe, USA, Taiwan, Mongolia, Japan, not to mention our Aussie neighbours from across the Tasman!
Throughout the decades they’ve changed up the walk’s offerings; they took the event from 2 days to 10, and it now sits at a comfortable 3-day event.
Celebrating its 33rd consecutive year – not even Covid could stop this event from happening – the 2026 festival is set to be another incredible year with something for everyone.
The walks are as big or as small as you’d like them to be! The festival’s walking routes showcase the best of Rotorua, starting on day one with adventures through the majestic Whakarewarewa Forest.
Day two scenery leads participants through Rotorua’s parks and urban pockets, past café spots, along the lakefront and around the iconic Government Gardens, with distances of 10 km, 20 km, 30 km and the newer 42 km option for those keen to go big. If something a little smaller suits you there’s the Plunket family walk on Saturday (stroller friendly of course), and the last event to leave the starting point is the SPCA Dog Walk on Sunday 22 March. It’s also worth noting that all walks are dog friendly… provided the lead stays on and the poop gets picked up.
This year there are also two other charity walks with the 10 km Barnardos walks on Saturday and Sunday being hosted by Sir Ashley Bloomfield, a Barnardos Ambassador. Funds from these walks go to support their “0800 What’s Up” helpline for children and young people.
Details about registration, cost, what to bring and accessibility are available right here on the Rotorua Walking Festival website.
If you’re not a Rotorua local no doubt accommodation will be high on your priority list when thinking about registering for this event. Holdens Bay Holiday Park has a 10% discount for anyone participating, just give them a call (on +64 7 345 9925) and let them know you’re coming for the walking festival.
We have a further 8 holiday parks in the region also ready to take your booking, whether you’re bringing the camper, keen on a cabin, or squeezing in one last tent escape before Autumn turns to Winter you can find everything you’re looking for on the button below.
Save 20-25% off your Autumnal Getaway at any of these Holiday Parks
Thornton Beach Holiday Park STAY 2, SAVE 25%
Book here
Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park STAY 2, SAVE 25% ON SITES*
Book here
Nelson City TOP 10 Holiday Park STAY 2, SAVE 20%*
Book here
Fox Glacier TOP 10 Holiday Park STAY 2, SAVE 20%*
Book here
Hot Water Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park STAY 2, SAVE 20% ON SITES
Book here
Where Riders Rest: The Cycle Hub Network Across New Zealand
Our friends at Great Rides Aotearoa have all the best cycling trails around NZ planned out for our cycling enthusiasts, but who makes sure your accommodation can handle you, your bike and your cycling crew? Is it you? Then we’ve got your back! (If it’s not you, then send this article on to that person, you’ll be their favourite cycling friend!)
Holiday Parks NZ Cycle Hubs are here to make planning the accommodation of any great ride you take easy.
Each Cycle Hub has at least:
- bike cleaning area
- secure, covered cycle storage
- contacts for a local bike mechanic
- on-site bike hire or contacts for local hire companies
- connections for shuttle services and cycle tour operators
The accommodation offerings at our Cycle Hub members range from the most basic of budgets to bougie elegance. Powered and unpowered sites for campers, caravans or campervans, motel units, backpacker accommodation, or glamping tents are available up and down the country.
So, before you (or your planner!) start pulling out your hair looking for the right accommodation for your next adventure, head to cycle hub and book the accommodation with fantastic facilities for every cycling traveller, whatever the season.
Winners!
Congratulations to Petrina & Derek Brenchley, the first recipients of our Holiday Parks NZ Pathway to Park Owner Scholarship supported by Vickian Family Trust. See the full story by clicking here.
Congratulations to Amanda and family for winning our $500 Rotorua Canopy Tour voucher. Their entry caught our judges’ eyes with a classic Kiwi holiday moment at Rotorua Blue Lake TOP 10 Holiday Park.
Autumn trips really come alive once you start choosing where to stay, and our digital map makes that part feel fun instead of fiddly.
Zoom into each region, see how every holiday park sits in relation to lakes, beaches, and town centres.
Download it now to map out a stay that fits the way you like to travel.
Keep in touch!
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