The people who made Ōhope Top 10 Holiday Park a true family-run operation in the past three years are shifting to the winterless north.

But they’re not giving up on holiday parks just because they have sold here.

Former general manager Aimee O’Keeffe and her husband, operations manager Cormac O’Keeffe, have purchased Ahipara Holiday Park, and her brother Daniel Smith (also an operations manager) and his partner Sian Bluett have taken over Hihi Holiday Park.

Parents Ian and Vicki Smith, who owned the Ōhope holiday park, are giving retirement another go in Kerikeri while their youngest daughter Megan, who took care of marketing, is preparing to welcome her first child and is also shifting to Kerikeri.

Ian and Vicki Smith have long histories in the holiday park industry, having owned parks in Waihi Beach and Beach Haven for almost three decades before pursuing an active retirement investing in other people.

Mr Smith is chair of the Top 10 Holiday Parks board.

There is some disagreement about who asked who to go into business together, but the O’Keeffes were keen to learn the ropes from Mrs O’Keeffe’s parents.

They looked at Ahipara first, but the timing was not right for the former owner to sell, so the Smiths purchased Ōhope Beach instead, a childhood favourite of Mrs Smith’s.

The O’Keeffes said they had never been to Ōhope before moving there but were immediately taken by the view as they drove over the hill.

“I remember when we first drove over that hill, the two of us looked at each other and said, ‘Oh my God, we’re living here,’ Mr O’Keeffe said. “It felt like we won the lottery.”

They were living in Ireland, where Mr O’Keeffe is from, before taking over the park in March 2021, after completing two weeks of managed isolation.

The O’Keeffes agree that the first year had more than its share of challenges, but they are grateful for the experiences it provided.

Mr O’Keeffe said having existing staff members who could help them navigate systems that had been in place for years was priceless, especially in the lead up to their first summer, with a newborn in tow.

“Going into the unknown with over 2000 people in the park was a bit of a challenge.”

The first Christmas was tough. They had to check Covid passes – no vax, no stay – a gastro bug went around the park, and there were issues with sewerage systems and hot water.

“Everything you could think of that would go wrong, went wrong. It was such a steep learning curve,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.

Just before the first summer season, Mrs O’Keeffe’s brother, Daniel, joined the team, despite them initially wanting to keep the park to themselves.

“Originally we said no family, but I’m glad we made the decision to bring him on board, because it made it really family focused.”

Younger sister Megan was hired in accounts and marketing when the holiday park needed a receptionist the following February, and she brought her best friend with her.

The only immediate family member not involved in the business was Mrs O’Keeffe’s older brother, who lives in Australia.

The family did not expect to sell the holiday park, which was not up for sale, but received and accepted an offer from Hampshire Property Group.

“We thought we would be here for a very, very long time,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

“We had 10-year plans drawn up for the park and had started working on those. We were all looking to the future and what it had to offer.”

Their efforts to add value for guests during the shoulder and winter months included the installation of hot tubs and a sauna, a plunge pool heated year-round, the upgrade of some units, a permanent all-weather movie screen, new units catering to couples, and a safari glamping tent.

There were also improvements that may have been less obvious to guests, like underground maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and alterations to the entrance.

Mrs O’Keeffe said what the previous owners had set up was “incredible” and meant the park had very good bones when her family took over.

Their philosophy was to build on what was already working and put their own stamp on it.

The improvements were recognised when the family went to the Holiday Parks New Zealand awards last year, where the park came runner-up in the Best Upgrade Under $100,000 category, and Mr Smith won the Outstanding Contribution to the Holiday Park Industry award.

Attending the awards was a favourite memory for Mrs O’Keeffe, among plenty of others in the park itself. She said it was the people, staff and guests, who made the work so rewarding.

They were likely some of the only people to enjoy working on Christmas Day, when they would make it their duty to spread the festive spirit around the park, including with Mr O’Keeffe dressed up as Santa Claus gifting presents to young campers.

During the regional Auckland lockdowns, they formed a community of campers who were unable to return home.

While the O’Keeffes beavered away as usual on the park, they checked in daily with their “Covid refugees” and formed strong bonds.

“It was a moment when you think there are some good people in the world, and it’s nice to have a community here,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

One of those campers has returned several times, which Mr O’Keeffe said was one of the most memorable parts of the job.

“There are people who come back year after year and remember you; they come back to say hello and thank you for doing all the hard work; that’s brilliant.”

Moving is bittersweet for the O’Keeffes, who have formed great relationships with plenty of locals and have loved living in Ōhope.

“And now we get to go and do it all ourselves, which is exciting,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

Mrs O’Keeffe grew up in the holiday park world and said there was something special about following in her parents’ footsteps by purchasing a park of her own and giving her children a similar upbringing.

“I grew up in the holiday park and I can see how amazing it is, and now our kids get to do that. It’s pretty cool.”