Hostels back in business and Tekapo welcomes vibrancy Paint job makes a big difference

A key accommodation facility in the Mackenzie has reopened after being mothballed in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and is already running close to capacity, with another set to open soon.

The $9 million, 128-bed YHA Lake Tekapo opened in April 2019, but was a casualty of the YHA closure which also saw 10 other hostels close around the country last December including Aoraki/Mt Cook.

Hostel staff were made redundant after the not-for-profit association folded due to what it called an unsustainable financial position created by Auckland’s lockdown and New Zealand’s international border restrictions.

But the Takapō /Tekapo YHA has quietly reopened for business under new ownership, with Aoraki/Mt Cook and a number of others set to follow suit.

Takapō /Tekapo YHA lodge manager John Garlick said the relaunch two weeks ago had been a ‘‘soft opening’’, with the hostel relisting on the booking.com and YHA websites.

Garlick and wife Marie have moved from Christchurch to help get the business up and running, which he said posed some unique challenges after having been shuttered for so long.

‘‘There are a lot of systems that need to be rebooted, serviced, all that sort of thing.

‘‘We had a big challenge getting the wi-fi back up and running, and the washing machines and dryers, all those had to be serviced, the lifts had to be certified, the list just goes on.’’

While still operating as YHA Lake Tekapo, Garlick said the hostel will be rebranded in the new year.

Garlick said he can’t confirm the new name, but thought it might be Haka Lodge Tekapo, reflecting the Haka Tourism Group’s major stake.

Colliers agency Christchurch managing director Hamish Doig said the purchasers, ‘‘an internationally aligned accommodation provider’’, do not want their identity revealed.

Doig said the same buyer bought eight of the nine properties for sale, snapping up the Takapō/Tekapo, Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Wanaka, Queenstown, Franz Josef hostels, and taking over the lease of Hereford St, Christchurch hostel.

‘‘The only one they missed out on was Te Anau.’’

He described the Takapō /Tekapo property as ‘‘the jewel in the crown’’.

Garlick said staffing had been one of the biggest issues so far.

‘‘We’re trying to – where possible – get local staff, but that’s pretty hard.’’

The company offers staff accommodation, which Garlick hoped would go some way to circumventing the staff housing issues that can plague businesses in the region.

‘‘We’re still feeling our way, but I expect there will be six or seven vacancies, maybe more, and they’re going to reopen the bar and restaurant downstairs, which might be around ten or more fulltime jobs altogether.’’

The hostel had bookings for tour groups throughout 2023, and even some interested in booking for 2024.

‘‘We’ve just had our second tour in, and it’s good. It’s bringing people back in and bringing dollars locally. We’re pretty close to being full most nights,’’ Garlick said.

Mackenzie Tourism development manager Lydia Stoddart said the reopening of the Takapō /Tekapo and Aoraki/Mt Cook hostels was ‘‘amazing news.’’

’’We’re welcoming both back with very open arms. It’s awesome to have Takapō as the first ... just having that bit more vibrancy around the Takapō lakefront is exciting for everyone. And then when Aoraki can reopen, we’re welcoming them with open arms too.’’

She said the value the backpacker and youth tourist provides is ‘‘immense and quite often undervalued’’.

The youth and backpacker market is an important market for New Zealand, and for the Mackenzie, and provides ‘‘immense lifelong value’’.

‘‘They stay in our region longer, they come back and often provide labour. They are lifetime advocates for our countries when they go back overseas, and they often later in life bring family and continue to come back as well.

‘‘The other part of it is New Zealander’s typically enjoy seeing that market back in town because they’re young and vibrant, they remind you of what it’s like to travel, there’s that feeling of nostalgia around it as well.

‘‘I think the youth backpacker market provides much more value than we possibly give people credit for in so many more ways than just the economic contribution.’’

But Stoddart said there are infrastructure and staffing issues that will see some bumps in the road as the tourism industry rebuilds from the pandemic years.

‘‘It’s absolutely going to take time to get back to what was pre-Covid normal in terms of connectivity. Staff shortages are a big constraint and a big handbrake to reopening some of those services. For example, pre-Covid, we used to have the Cook Connection bus services, which I don’t think they’re able to operate this summer because of staffing challenges.’’

She said some other services are returning, with Entrada Group/ Intercity announcing they will resume West Coast services.’’

The Mackenzie route is still operating at a reduced schedule, but will be increased ‘‘as demand and staffing allows.’’

‘‘Everyone’s in the same situation where we’re feeling strong demand, but staff is probably the key handbrake at the moment with the labour shortages.’’

While she would ‘‘love to see some Immigration New Zealand and policy setting changes’’, the tourism staffing shortage is worldwide, she said.

The Mackenzie tourism industry is anticipating a ‘‘really good summer,’’ with meeting demand being one of the biggest challenges ahead, she said.

There has been a bit written over the past year about the beautiful old villa on the corner of Ewen Rd and King St in Temuka.

It’s been a little rundown and care-worn looking and those of us who love old houses have been driving by and feeling nervous about its possible fate.

It had been the well-loved home of the Pollard family for 57 years and they were not surprised at the interest the ‘‘very special’’ old house attracted. Aside from being a wonderful home to grow up in full of life, its walls echoing with piano music and busy children, it has an interesting history.

Built in the 1870s as the original Temuka courthouse it occupied a different site. When its use as a courthouse ended in 1900 it was moved by traction engine to its new location and converted to a sevenroom home by Temuka woman, Mrs Elizabeth Arbuthnot-Jones.

Sadly, two years later she perished in a tragic drowning accident on the Te Ngawai River and the home was sold in 1902.

Charles and Alice Bates purchased the house. He was a painter and decorator and they set about installing ornate ceilings and cornices throughout the front rooms of the house as a showcase for their decorating business.

Above the beautiful molded ceilings, inside the roof space, are the last remnants of the home’s courthouse origins. The varnished tongue and groove boards follow the pitch of the roof and traditional black steel support rods remain.

In 1924 the home was used for a time as a maternity hospital, run by Nurse Mallet, until a new one was built in Temuka around 1930 and the house reverted to being a home to be enjoyed by many Temuka families over the years.

The Pollard family bought the house in 1965 and it remained in their family until March this year when new owners took possession.

They’ve been busy. Sporting a new roof and a subtle elegant paint job it’s exciting to see the old villa looking set for another turn as a home to be enjoyed and well-lived in. – Karen Rolleston

Treasures of the Aigantighe