johnht

When/if I get my residence visa, one option we're thinking of is buying a NZ campsite/holiday park, so I was wondering if there were any opinions out there about that idea. If anyone has any experience of doing something similar then I would be very interested to hear from you - of course only to talk in general on a open forum without giving away any 'trade secrets'
If anyone knows of any sites for sale - or good websites (I've already found tourismproperties.com, bayleys, realestate/primebusiness.co.nz, and of course trademe and the Herald) then I'd like to hear to further my searches!
Also anyone who has gone into a business, how were the banks when you went cap in hand to ask for finance?
Thanks,
John.

shirl

Well if you do buy one and good luck if you do, then how about making the pitches spacious like in the UK. Here they are all crammed in so tight it is a fire risk! You could shake your neighbours hand while sitting on your toilet! Puts me off getting a caravan and we used to have one in the UK and go away most weekends! Not seen a campsite to make me want to buy a van yet!

Fooferfish

Seek out LARCHVIEW holiday park in Naseby Central Otagp, the people who bought and run that one are Ex Pats www.larchviewholidaypark.co.nz Matthew De-wops , these guys will have more idea then any of us, we have stayed there in winter, you should look for an income in summer and winter, there are no Butlins here or hundreds of Blubird caravans !!! Good luck, there is one for sale In Middlemarch, Blind Billy's its also next to the start of the Central Otago rail trail, thats starting to boom, would be a good earner, Middlemarch a wee bit quiet though.

Nige, Dunedin area 05

Bo-Jangles

I can't speak for campsites particularly but real estate in tourism properties must be a huge business because I can quite honestly say that almost every motel we have stayed in has either been for sale, sold shortly afterwards or under new management. It seems that the big ideas and plans require a lot of investment to bring some of these places up to scratch and the owners burn themselves out working 24/7.

Google (.co.nz) Motels for sale and you will see what I mean!!