RECORD HOLIDAY SEASON

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14533, 29 November 1947, Page 2

RECORD HOLIDAY SEASON

VISITORS TO MOTtm, MAUNGANUi UNT Unprecedented Demi For Accommodation Exceptionally Heavy Bookings Made It is anticipated that th • of campers and visitors Maunganui over the \1 Mo »nt holiday period will £s£s** record. Generally S De£ Ute a quiries made for camp sitiT P and other forms of accS b / C es are unprecedented in theT ati * this seaside resort. Stor y of A popular camping e rounH ; "■ Domain area, which i s g gHj* right throughout the and although there is £. L® the early New Year sites ff? g P> be in demand untiliveTlfe ruary. Bookings are ako 2| heavy for space at the MuSI area south of Salisbury Avenu C 2 here too, a record is indicS the advance bookings y That a similar position rules will, all types of accommodation-back cabins and private hotels-wa* i„ dicated to a representative of £ Bay of Plenty Times by a Mo! Maunganui resident in the coursT! an interview. To obtain accom mcdation of this nature at ]££ Maunganui during the holiS period it was necessary to boot months ahead, and even last East* the situation for the coming season v/as acute. " Many Disappointments "There will be a lot of disappoint. ed people," said a Mount Maunganui agent after he had stated that letters, telegrams and callers were far in excess of those received bv him in previous years. Quite a few visitors had already arrived at the Mount, but the Times representative was told that there was at present "a calm before the storm." One booking this agent had received was for a period from December i until the middle of March, while several other applicants had requested "accommodation for similar periods. Normally, accommodation for the holiday period would be fully taxed well into the New Year, but with Easter, and a further influx of visitors, - it was anticipated that there would be no great lessening in the demand until the winter. It is also anticipated that there will be a number of day and weekend tours to the Mount during the busy period, and this will further add to the population and greatly increase the numbers visiting the beaches. The president of the Mount Maunganui Surf and Life Saving Club (Mr J. W. Sycamore) said that men's and women's teams would maintain patrols there throughout the holiday season. Growth Of Mount Speaking of the growth of the Mount, Mr Sycamore mentioned the provision of golf links, and added that he had received a number of inquiries from residents of other districts in New Zealand who specifically mentioned that they wished to take advantage of the existence of links. Quite a settlement was springing up near the links, and a large number of fine homes had been built. Large-scale building operations were also taking place within the borough of Mount Maunganui. This activity practically extended to the borough boundary. Mr Sycamore explained that it was difficult to acquire building sites inside the borough, and the demand was far,greater than the supply. This had been the position for the last two years. When an area was sub-dividea, the sites were quickly sold, P there were still many would-b buyers. Often new sub-divisional areas were sold even before tj were placed on the open mania, added Mr Sycamore. The Mount 5000 Clud, a very active body last season, is arrange an attractive and varied P«fag for the coming holidays. Anotjer attraction will be a series of yam ing events in Pilot Bay, while yachts participating in the aw race from Auckland will fln£*J race at the Mount. Events have a been arranged for these larger yachts.

Other Attractions A big boxing tournament fr* planned to be held at Mount MaJ ganui on Boxing Day, and it B£ lieved that an effort is being J for Willie Jones, a wdWg Negro boxer, and other prong fighters to provide exhibit on bou* A proportion of the jg« Mount Maunganui are W*m thusiasts. That this is so s'g by the fact that from early w m 1946, until the end of Mar wh the one green there caterecu 1000 visiting bowlers. i«» ar . does not include visitors ticipated in tournaments, has been commenced in " £enS posal to provide two more s at the Mount. nrpnarati oß The contract for the prep work has been let to> an n v firm, and it is expected thai {(ji greens will be ready for P wards the end of IggL-g