NZMCA Members Do Their Part For Motorhome Friendly Kaikoura

As a member of the NZMCA's Motorhome Friendly Towns network, Kaikoura has a good name for the warm welcome it offers visiting motorhomers and caravanners. So when the town was devastated by the recent earthquakes, it's not surprising that NZMCA members were quick to offer their support. As soon as access to the stricken town was granted, some 300 NZMCA members volunteered to travel into the area to help rental companies retrieve the dozens of motorhomes trapped by the disaster. And while keen to ensure members weren't getting in the way of the ongoing clean-up effort, the association has encouraged members to help get the town back on its feet economically by continuing to visit. Over Easter, NZMCA members took that support to another level by attending a special rally designed to not only raise funds for Kaikoura Primary School but also to support local businesses. As a result, some 60 motorhomes attended the event, which raised $3225 for the school and the Community EQ Relief Fund. "The school also raised a further $2080 through catering an evening meal for us," NZMCA board member Sharron King reports. To further support Kaikoura, NZMCA members also rolled up their sleeves and undertook a rubbish clean-up along the town's foreshore esplanade. "The locals were amazed and very appreciative," Sharron says. Thrilled with the NZMCA members' support, Kaikoura Mayor Winston Gray reported that they contributed well, "many of them taking advantage of marine tourism and spending up large throughout the town".