When COVID-19 forced the closure of Tiona Holiday Park, newly appointed manager, Margaret Shannon was understandably shattered.
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Margaret was looking forward to celebrating her first 100 days on the job, and a predicted bumper Easter holiday period following months of drought, followed by bushfires and unprecedented rainfall.
Instead, the popular holiday destination was forced to padlock the front gates and put up the closed sign.
"I cried; it broke my heart," Margaret said.
"A park is not a park without people."
"This was the only time I got emotional and discouraged," she said.
But, Margaret and her team rallied, taking advantage of the shutdown to bring forward the planned two years of improvements and makeovers projects marked in her diary.
I cried; it broke my heart. A park is not a park without people.
- Margaret Shannon
"We brought forward our capital works program and decided to get as many of those things done before restrictions lifted."
Over the past six months the site has been a hive of activity as local tradies and staff have dug in, preparing park for the future and the coming September school holidays.
Pre-loved cabins have been trucked in, existing cabins have been refurbished and extended, projects which have generated a range of awesome guest reviews and comments.
Working in collaboration with Tiona and famed Green Cathedral landowners, the Community of Christ, grounds and amenities also have been upgraded.
Sitting next door to the outdoor wedding chapel, the Green Cathedral, the park is in a unique position to offer a complete marriage package from service, wedding breakfast to accommodation.
One of the most exciting projects are plans to makeover and extend the conference centre, Margaret said.
Featuring an impressive new pavilion, designed by Ian Sercombe and Brett Bargallie, the project takes advantage of the centre's unrivalled waterfront setting making this fabulous venue even better, she said.
Tiona is working to have renovations complete by Christmas.
"With only around 13 weeks until the Christmas guests start arriving, it will certainly be a tough one, but we've got a great team, and they love a challenge and can't wait to get started."
Located in a mobile phone black spot, wifi has been installed throughout the park's 32 hectare site, while guests are now welcomed in a new reception area and plans on on the drawing board to introduce a cafe space and refurbish the TV/games area.
An upgraded pool area will be completed in time for the September school holidays.
At the same time a unique range of accommodation, wedding and conference packages have been designed.
Sitting next door to the outdoor wedding chapel, the Green Cathedral, the park is in a unique position to offer a complete marriage package from service, wedding breakfast to accommodation.
The park has what Margaret describes at the best of two worlds, stretching for 1.6km along Wallis Lake on one side and the Seven Mile Beach on the other side.
It's just 200m from the lake to the beach, Margaret said.
"There aren't many parks where you can watch the sunrise in the morning over the surf and go for a paddle board and watch the sunset."
Margaret, who has an impressive tourism resume extending more than two decades, was lured back to the Great Lakes by new park owner Rob Jeffress late last year.
She was a key member of the successful team which presented a business plan to the church, which eventually secured the 60 year leasehold.
She was known to the Pacific Palms businessman through her management of the Big4 Great Lakes, Tuncurry.
The former Kiwi began her career with the Accor group after graduating from the University of Otago, Dunedin with a bachelor of tourism and marketing, working her way from hotels to tourist parks in Queensland and NSW.
However, tourism wasn't her first love, beginning university studying for a Bachelor of Science.
"But, I soon realised I was too social to be stuck in a lab for hours and decided to change tact," Margaret said.
"I have never looked back; I find tourism fascinating and dynamic; the wanderlust and new experiences of meeting new people.
"There is a sense of connection and community and that is what you get in a caravan park; people coming together and making friends."
Margaret predicted a boom period for domestic travel was on the horizon as international borders remain shut.
The caravan and camping industry contributes $21 billion to the economy.
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