Rain fails to dampen 43-year tradition

DAVID HALLETT/ The Press

SNUG INDOORS: Caravan veteran Gwen Myers warms herself in front of a heater at Spencer Beach Holiday Park during yesterday's cold snap.

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Rainy-day camping is no problem for Christchurch grandmother Gwen Myers – not with Elvis in the caravan.

While a wet southerly made for an uncomfortable day for many South Island campers yesterday, Myers, 84, could draw on her DVD collection.

"I'm a big Elvis fan, so I have all my Elvis DVDs here that I can watch."

Myers has stayed at the Spencer Beach Holiday Park north of Christchurch every Christmas holidays for the past 43 years.

She made her first visit in 1966 after she and her husband moved to Christchurch from Dunedin.

"We had a holiday house down there, so we sold it and bought a caravan," she said. "We thought we'd try Spencer Park just as a trial, and we loved it."

They liked the area so much that they returned to the same spot for 26 years, residing at site No9 every summer until her husband's death in 1992.

"After that, I couldn't face staying there, so I moved over here [site 19] instead."

Myers said she kept busy by entertaining visitors, including her four children and 18 grandchildren, as well as members of her line-dancing group.

She travels to the camping ground from Upper Riccarton, but the annual trips were "just like going to Nelson or Timaru".

Myers plans to spend New Year's Day with her children and grandchildren before giving some line-dancing demonstrations.

- © Fairfax NZ News