{"id":2579,"date":"2022-10-26T09:48:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T21:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kiwibusinessheroes.co.nz\/awards\/?page_id=2579"},"modified":"2024-09-17T21:53:02","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T09:53:02","slug":"motu-moana-camp","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kiwibusinessheroes.co.nz\/awards\/motu-moana-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Motu Moana Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In Business\u00a0Since 1941<\/b><\/p>\n

Based in:<\/strong> Blockhouse Bay, Auckland\/Tamaki Makaurau<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact Name: <\/strong>Gloria Crann<\/p>\n

Website: www.motumoanacamp.co.nz<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Business mission and vision<\/b>:<\/div>\n
In a city that is focused on building out and up, it is our greatest intention and mission to retain and preserve Motu Moana Camp for many generations to come, thru providing clean affordable accommodation. It is also to provide adults andyouth the experiences that camping brings thru best practices in conservation, Rongoa Maori, respect for the whenua, Moana and campsite and bringing awareness of themselves around nature and what it has to offer them.<\/div>\n<\/div>
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Vote<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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\u201cWe provide accommodation and grounds for Community Groups, Youth Groups, Whanau Reunions, Schools, Sports Groups etc to enjoy at a fantastic affordable rate.\u201d
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<\/i><\/i><\/span>What sets you apart from your competitors?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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He aha te mea nui au a te au, what is the most important thing in life,? he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. Its people, its people, its people. I absolutely walk the talk, when you arrive at Motu, you are not just as a guest, you are whanau, and everyone who comes thru the gates of Motu Moana Camp are greeted as such. Our pricing, acceptance of all cultures and their needs for prayer, quiet time, or cooking practices is respected by us and allowed. We will help groups whom may not be able to afford the full costs by subsidising their stay. Every guest that comes to Motu Moana Camp, does not want to leave, or will book another stay before they leave. We genuinely care.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please provide details of any business awards you have won.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Well, I have never put us forward for one ever. Hoping this will be our first.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please describe why you decided to go into business for yourself.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
I was approached to help out with accounts until they found someone else. The someone else never eventuate, and as I saw the need for the practices requiring immediate change to not only service, but to make the experience better for guests, I have worked 6-7 day weeks, 10-12 hour days for the last 6 years to make all the positive changes happen. I love mahi, and the challenge of turning something from run down to something to be proud off. When I first arrive in 2016, annual capacity was around 34%. In the years following, we raised occupancy to 85%, 92%, 94% and were booked 2 years in advance. It stayed around this rate before Covid hit. During Covid, I opened the camp up as a testing station to help the cause. We are slowly getting back into raising occupancy levels again.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please describe some of the challenges you needed to overcome to get your business off the ground.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
The facilities were very run down, as were the grounds. Hence the hours I have had to work to get it to where we are today. When I first started at Motu Moana Camp the valuation of the buildings was 2.7mil, since my works that are ongoing it has increased to nearly 8mil. The Appraiser told me to stop improving the camp, because my insurance would be going up as a result. They have been praising the works that have been done knowing the camp was dormant for many years.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please tell us about an example where you managed to overcome a significant challenge that stood in the way of your business success.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
The community had access to the grounds here for quite a few years and when I took over, the new Health and Safety Laws and Vulnerable Children’s act had come in. I then had to tell people they were no longer allowed on site unless they were a guest who had an induction to the site. I was spat at, called nig@r, black bitch, told to go home, and other unpleasantries. It gave me the courage and tenacity to tai ho, stay firm. These people were from my community and where my neighbours. I also had resistance from a Scout Group whom were onsite at that time who vandilised items around the campsite, wrote disparaging things on vehicles etc. Thankfully I had a very supportive CEO and Manager.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please explain how perseverance or overcoming adversity has been necessary for you to make a success of your business.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
What doesn’t break you, makes you stronger, and the people that use our facility, and their expressions of gratitude for making their stay so easy and warm, keeps me going. It also gives me great pride to do this mahi for Scouts Aotearoa and all of those people before me whom loved this whenua.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>What business success have you achieved to date? <\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Already explained earlier. And we have a fantastic reputation with all our customers, corporate, private etc, as being a clean, welcoming campsite.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>What are you most proud of in relation to your business?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Reinstating the Marae area. It was ignored and hidden for 40 years, it now has its place back on our whenua, and is the talking point of all our guests that enter the site.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/i><\/i><\/span>How many people does your business employ?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Just myself and a part timer on Saturday.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>What contractors do you regularly use in your business?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Plumbing, Electrical, Weed Spraying, Buildings. We tend to do a lot of work ourselves.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>What training opportunities have you provided to the people you employ?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
I have taken on all ages on a casual basis over the years, each one of them learning skills here that they have now taken into apprenticeships or University. I am very proud of giving them that opportunity and supporting them doing it.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>What positive reviews and testimonials do you have from happy customers?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Every camp that has left Motu Moana are grateful, happy, feel re-energised, thankful for how clean the camp is, cant believe we are in the city, appreciate our can do attitude.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Apart from the potential financial benefits, what other benefits do you get from being a business owner?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Meeting people, and being able to share in their experience of being at Motu Moana Camp, how blessed am I.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please describe any community involvement or sponsorship your business is involved with.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
We are unable to sponsor businesses, however we support our local communities by having school groups here for day trips, subsides schools and community groups with costs to stay at our camp. When power has gone out in the area for more than a day, I have called our local rest home to bring in the elderly for hot showers.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>What other ways do you - as a business - give back to the community?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
As above<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Please outline any other information you think is relevant to this entry.<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Turou Hawaiki, Blessings to you all, it is never an easy decision to pick winners. We are all winners the moment we wake up in the morning. Every days a great day topside, only 6 feet separate us.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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