She remembered visiting her grandma in Mount Maunganui when she was growing up, spending time going to the beach, hanging out with the family, lying in a hammock, eating fresh grapefruit, and having hot feet on the concrete \u2013 activities which still provoked \u201cthose kinds of nostalgic feelings you had as a kid\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of travellers my age [35] want those feelings again, and they want that feeling for their children as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said Beyonder\u2019s main client base was from Auckland and wanted to \u201ccome back to that feeling of a classic Kiwi bach\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simple life: read a book, hang out under the sun, go to the beach, eat ice cream, play games on the grass, and just take the day slow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Events like international cricket <\/a>matches and \u201cawesome gigs like Fisher<\/a>\u201d also attracted guests.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just depends on the type of clientele.\u201d<\/p>\n Corporate travellers were popular clients and usually booked midweek stays.<\/p>\n Beyonder also hosted groups of friends and golf trips.<\/p>\n She said it recently hosted a golf group that met up once a year, chose a destination, and checked out the local courses.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a good, vibrant town all year round. There\u2019s something for everybody.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can still feel like a local when you come here in the winter, because it\u2019s a little bit quieter.\u201d<\/p>\n Guests booked three months in advance in the summer.<\/p>\n Saunders said both seasons offered something different.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got the hot pools and all these amazing walks. It\u2019s a lot quieter during winter, so you don\u2019t have to line up anywhere.<\/p>\n \u201cIt might be a bit fresher to go swimming, but you can make the most of it and do a cold dip or go to a sauna <\/a>\u2013 enjoy that kind of wellness experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Mount Maunganui also attracted international clients, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to feel like a local and feel the Kiwi lifestyle. Like just walking down to the dairy and getting an ice cream.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really painting the picture and marketing it overseas to make them feel like they can enjoy the Kiwi experience as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Rochelle Wilson hosts guests at her holiday homes in Mount Maunganui and Auckland.<\/p>\n She said Mount Maunganui was \u201csmall enough to have that small town feel\u201d.<\/p>\n Its family-oriented environment, shops, facilities, and restaurants meant the Mount \u201chas it all\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have the ability to be on a world-class beach and still have the infrastructure around you to make life easy.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the biggest drawcard was the \u201cmagical Mount\u201d, which she insisted all her guests should walk up.<\/p>\n Events like Aims Games<\/a> attracted return guests.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what drives me to keep opening my home up to people: the repeat guests.<\/p>\n \u201cShowing off my beautiful hometown and then getting people going, \u2018We see what you\u2019re talking about,\u2019 and coming back year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n One previous booking was for a family holiday. The same family rented the house a few years later when the kids were about to get married.<\/p>\n Kristin Clarke\u2019s property management business Time in a Place hosts big families and corporate groups.<\/p>\n She said its holiday homes were fully booked from December 23 to almost the end of January.<\/p>\n February and March were also busy, though bookings dropped off significantly between Easter and August.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just the nature of the business.\u201d<\/p>\n She said Mount Maunganui was a central location for overseas guests who wanted to visit Lake Taup\u014d, Rotorua or Hobbiton<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a great little vibe in downtown Mount Maunganui and great boutique shopping.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the mini Gold Coast of New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\nOne of the P\u0101p\u0101moa beach properties, Oceanfront Abode, available to book through Beyonder. Photo \/ Boundless Vision<\/p>\n
Beach views from Rochelle Wilson’s holiday home in Mount Maunganui.<\/p>\n
The Oceanbeach Escape property available to rent through Time in a Place.<\/p>\n