The Humble Kiwi Bach is a Hit in Cyberspace

Visit www.bookabach.co.nz.

For 50 years, the White family has spent many special holidays at their Taupo lakefront property and this year, the first fourth generation White is about to take her first steps on the sandy shores. Her granddad Neil White, 56, is one of five family members who own the Hot Water Beach site. He has fond memories of exploring Lake Taupo in the late ‘50s and ‘60s.

“When we were kids we found caves with Maori remnants that were later part of an archaeological dig,” Neil recalls. Back then, the Wairakei geothermal area was “just a hot pool dug out of the ground." Neil even remembers sharing one public hot pool with a friendly water rat or two!

Taupo is a lot more sophisticated these days and so is the property’s online computerised booking system. The Whites use Bookabach, which puts holidaymakers in touch with bach owners around the country. Established in 2000 and now part of the NZ Automobile Association, the website offers a free Family and Friends plan, where the five White owners can each make their bookings online. While they use the site mainly for family, they also have a rental listing and get bookings from the public which “help offset the bills of the bach,” says Neil from his central Hawkes Bay home.

“I think middle aged people are increasingly savvy with computers and this is a good system that’s easy to use.”

This is a view shared by the recently retired managing director of Levin Computers, Russell Hayes, who rents out his holiday cottage around the lake in Turangi.

“Over 90% of our computer sales are to people over 50,” says Russell. He has had so much success renting to holidaymakers, he’s been able to retire early!

“We really didn’t know where to start in getting people to come and stay,” says Neil. “We Googled to try and get some leads and Bookabach kept popping up all over the place. After six weeks on the site the bookings started rolling in and we wondered what we had let ourselves in for! Not only New Zealanders but overseas tourists’ emails started coming in and Refresh Cottage was all of a sudden a serious small time business.”

The couple re-furnished the late ‘70s house – built for a family who worked on the large electricity projects – with new beds, furnishings and chattels – and Refresh Cottage was born.

The Whites also improved their Lake Taupo haven by putting a three bedroom Lockwood on the site in 1978. Prior to that, the family would bunk down in their tiny turn of the century fisherman’s cottage and three army huts. The property has own endless supply of thermal hot water in a pool – perfect for relaxing tired muscles after a day’s fishing, or skiing on Mt Ruapehu, 100km away.

“We just love going to the bach, I don’t actually miss home,” says Gwen. “We’re on a farm and that’s one place we can go and totally relax straight away. We also have a boat and go fishing – it’s just like a real holiday!”

While Neil and Gwen do their property managing on the internet, Russell and his wife Raewin last week moved from Levin to their other Turangi house so they can meet and greet their guests in what has fast become a thriving commercial business for their retirement as well as a lovely spot for their family.

“People have grabbed hold of the name ‘Refresh’ and that’s what they’ve wanted - a bit of time out in nice, good quality accommodation, to enjoy the nearby surroundings like hot pools, trout fishing and Lake Taupo.

List your bach on Bookabach

Pic 1 - The internet has kept family members connected to their Lake Taupo bach.

Pic 2 - Fourth generation baby Tabitha White outside the bach with her aunt, Anna White and dad Daniel.

Pic 3 - Family affair: The original owner of the bach, Tiny White, with some of her family at the Taupo bach

Pic 4 - An endless supply of hot water keeps the grandkids amused at the Taupo bach!

Pic 5 - Russell and Raewin Hayes at their Turangi rental bach. Photo: Judith Jefferson

Published 11th Mar 2009

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