When thinking about heading into the real world of camping my husband and I (possibly myself more) were hesitant. We had been cosseted by the staff and amenities at the Greymouth Top Ten Holiday Park. I do mean cosetted. Shower blocks there have underfloor heating. Private bathrooms are paved and warm. Water is on tap and the staff concerned themselves with our lives and solved all our problems there for two years. Setting off to travel the country felt like leaving home. Going to a N.Z.C.M.A. site gave me the feeling that I would be going to live on a desert island.
I have found that actually staying at a N.Z.C.M.A. camp is like being on a wee island. We can see all around but the waters are not shark infested. Like minded people chat with us, share experiences and help if they can.
The N.Z.C.M.A. camps are more than that though. When Andy and Gladys founded the association in 1956 I am not sure they could have envisaged what being a member in 2024 would be like. They certainly had foresight but I am not sure they could have imagined all the camps that have sprouted. Sprouting not being the right word. These camps did not just start appearing. I am staggered by the amount of time and effort many forward thinking people have put in. These camps are mown, clean and tidy. They are all fenced and gated. They are looked after and over by volunteers. They defy shabbiness.
These camps offer a haven not a piece of desert to members today.