For the past sixteen years, the Waitomo District Council (WDC) owned camping ground at Marokopa has been operated under a lease agreement.

A small store has also been run at the site, by the operator under their separate private arrangement. We have been informed by the current shop operator, that they wish to close their store.

At the end of 2017, Council was given notice by the lessee of their intention to terminate their lease agreement. The lease arrangement with WDC came to an end on 31 January 2018. 

WDC undertook an Expressions of Interest process with the intention of identifying a suitably experienced service provider to operate the camping ground. Regrettably, no suitable party could be identified through that process.

Council is committed to delivering a quality camping ground experience that is affordable and enjoyable for visitors to Marokopa. Therefore it was important to pursue a viable solution for the future operation of the site.

As an interim arrangement, the campground was operated and managed by WDC, while other options were investigated and presented to Council for consideration. WDC only managed the campground while the store was operated through a private arrangement which Council has no involvement in.

Council resolved at its October 2018 monthly meeting, to retrofit the infrastructure that supports the campground portion of the site, to operate this as a KiwiCamp facility.

Following a temporary closure to allow for maintenance and conversion work to be completed, the Marokopa Holiday Park will open on December 3rd, and will offer a range of camping options including tent, motorhome, and caravan sites.

All queries relating to this work should be directed to Quin Powell at Waitomo District Council via phone on 07 878 0800 or 027 598 5429 or email [email protected]

• Click here to find out about staying at the Marokopa Holiday Park.