A traditional New Zealand campground in Marlborough has been placed on the market for sale as a freehold going concern, providing opportunity for an owner-operator or an investor to acquire a valuable landholding and successful business.

The well-established Spring Creek Holiday Park at 1199 Rapaura Road, Spring Creek – 7km north of Blenheim, and 23km south of Picton – occupies a 1.53ha site with around 940sqm of developed buildings including a circa-1860s four-bedroom character homestead with an adjacent reception/office area, campground amenities, and accommodation options.

The land is zoned Rural Environment and the property has dual access from State Highway 62 near the intersection with State Highway 1.

The holiday park offers powered and non-powered camp sites including long-term metered sites, standard and ensuited cabins, recently built self-contained chalets and a cottage, plus shared backpacker rooms.

Guest facilities include two communal kitchens, two ablution blocks, a laundry, swimming pool, television/games’ room, barbeques, and children's play-ground – all set in landscaped park-like grounds on the bank of Spring Creek where tame eels wait to be fed by guests.

The goal of the holiday park is to provide good, clean, affordable holiday accommodation and there is strong repeat business from returning holiday makers to the area. The camp is pet-friendly for those on tent and powered camp sites only.

The onsite campground manager has indicated they would be keen to remain on under new ownership, which would allow for business continuity and a streamlined transition for an investor.

The land, buildings and freehold going concern of Spring Creek Holiday Park are for sale by negotiation through Erika Williams and Michael Ryan, Bayleys Marlborough.

Williams says land on the bank of Spring Creek is tightly held, and the sale is a rare opportunity to secure an attractive landholding and a well-established accommodation business, with potential to redevelop it in the future.

“The large site is underutilised in terms of the built infrastructure that is currently in place, and there is an active consent for further accommodation units.

“Long-term, the underlying value of a more-than 1.5ha site so close to Blenheim and Picton cannot be underestimated and this will give a new owner additional confidence over and above what is a well-performing and popular business concern.”

The location near Spring Creek village is convenient for travellers, and is particularly popular with people travelling on the Cook Strait ferries and en route to Nelson and Golden Bay. The holiday park is in easy walking distance to the Four Square supermarket, and handy to the retail/hospitality offerings at The Vines precinct.

In the wider area there are numerous vineyards, restaurants, hiking and biking tracks and other recreational opportunities such as fishing, wine tours and heritage trails.

Ryan says the business financials show a clear positive income trajectory with details available to interested parties upon signing of a confidentiality agreement.

“The holiday park has all-year around patronage for consistent cashflow, and the long-term powered sites are metered which provides income during the quieter winter season.

“All maintenance is up-to-date and, in my experience, it is very rare for a business to be as well-organised and smartly operated as this one.

“The onsite manager occupies the homestead, and has a proven track record as an astute operator with reviews on online travel forums praising her friendly, helpful and extra-mile service.”

Marlborough's visitor economy is in good heart. Information provided by Destination Marlborough shows visitors to Marlborough spent $182 million to the year ending March 2023, up 9.7% on the previous year, and equating to over $0.5 million per day of new money into the Marlborough economy from both domestic and international visitors.

The Spring Creek Holiday Park sits on a site originally acquired for the growing of wheat, with a flour mill powered by a large water wheel ceasing operation in 1905. The land was converted to a camping ground in the 1960s, with the original large Kauri homestead remaining.

Click here for more information on the listing.