Roman Travers: Is NZ becoming famous for poor infrastructure rather than our stunning natural features?

I hope you had a fabulous long Easter weekend and that you got to enjoy some of the many aspects that make New Zealand a world class tourist attraction.

But is New Zealand really ready to open up to the world post all of the pandemic palaver and are our facilities as good as we think they are?

There’s one particular camping ground that you would never put on your bucket list of places to visit, and that’s the Gore Motor Camp.

Police have visited this motor camp 16 times in the last 14 months and they’ve made two arrests.

They’ve recorded six family harm investigations, three breach of bail follow-ups, two assault incidents, one each for fighting and drug offending, two vehicle-related visits and one mental health incident.

Anyone who does their research before making travel plans would have that at the top of the list of places not to visit, which is a really sad thing for the country music capital of New Zealand.

I wonder if some of our tour operators have given up investing in their operations and keeping them up to world-class standards, thinking that the world still wants to come here to experience everything that’s amazing?

You know the old story: demand creates demand, so why would you invest in something that sells itself with little to no effort required?

The camping ground I refer to is owned by the Gore district Council, and I’m sure the locals are deeply ashamed of the way one of their key assets has been left to languish.

The Gore District Council have some serious questions to address and some pretty hard work to be done in order to make this an attractive campground once again.

What’s your experience been over the long weekend? If you’ve been camping and getting out and about in our great outdoors, how have you found the facilities?

Is New Zealand becoming world-famous for poor infrastructure and potholes more so than the incredibly stunning natural features that we the people are entrusted to maintain?

Each and every one of us has a role to play in keeping our country pristine and The Gore District Council need to sort this out at speed, before the next influx of tourists arrive.

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